Trojans Fall to Cajuns in Five Sets

LITTLE ROCK – The Trojan volleyball team had two players set single-game career highs in kills, but Louisiana still earned a come-from-behind 3-2 (17-25, 27-25, 15-25, 25-18, 17-15) win over Little Rock at the Jack Stephens Center on Friday night.
 
Marina Avram led the Trojans in kills with a career-high 21, and Veronica Marin added a career-high 18 kills of her own. Kelsey Leech also had a career high with 23 digs. Setter Taylor Lindberg also broke a career high with 53 assists.
 
Avram put a double-double on the board with 13 digs, and the Trojans had four players in double figures for digs. Edina Selimovic also reached double figures with kills – totaling 11 at the end of the night – as did Carolee Dillard with 10.
 
The decisive fifth set started off promising for the Trojans (5-11, 1-2 Sun Belt Conference) as the team got off to a 4-0 lead and forced the Cajuns (5-13, 2-1) to call a timeout. Little Rock expanded that lead to as many as five points with a 10-5 lead, but Louisiana got nine of the next 13 points to tie the set at 14-14. After a Trojan block gave Little Rock match point at 15-14, Louisiana scored three straight points to claim the victory.
 
After a third set where Little Rock looked to have taken complete control, the Cajuns rebounded in the fourth. The set remained close and was tied at 14-14, but Louisiana strung together seven consecutive points to squash the Trojans' hopes in the period. Louisiana wound up winning the frame by those seven points, as the teams were an even 4-4 after that big Cajuns run.
 
The Trojans dominated the third set to take a 2-1 lead in the match as Avram and Marin continued to accumulate kills. The pair had combined for 27 by the time the third set was over, a set that Little Rock only trailed when it was 2-1. The Trojans would score eight of the next nine points to take a 9-3 lead, and they led by as many as 10.      
 
The second set saw the Trojans storm out to a 6-2 lead, but the Cajuns took over from there. Louisiana scored six consecutive points after that and led by as many as seven points at 17-10. Little Rock got a second wind at that point, fighting back to tie the frame at 23-23. Little Rock missed out on a set point opportunity at 25-24, and the Cajuns got three consecutive points to send the teams into the break tied at 1-1.
 
Marina Avram was the Trojans' leading hitter in the first set, picking up four kills to help the team to an eight-point victory. Louisiana began the match with the first two points, but the Trojans quickly scored the next three and never trailed again in the set.
 
Little Rock outblocked Louisiana 14-4 and outhit the Cajuns .306-.249 despite the loss.
 
The Trojans have just 21 hours to rest before their next contest, as they are set to take on ULM at the Jack Stephens Center on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.