Warhawks split season-opening volleyball matches vs. Lamar, SFA

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The ULM volleyball team opened the 2020 season with a split of opening day matches at Stephen F. Austin. The Warhawks defeated Lamar, 3-1 (25-22, 20-25, 25-23, 25-18), in the opener Friday morning and then fell to SFA, 3-0 (25-8, 25-19, 25-11), Friday evening at Shelton Gym.

“What a feeling and opportunity to be back on the floor again,” ULM head volleyball coach Charlie Olson said. “As we work our way through non-conference competition, we will test various lineups and combinations. Lamar provided us a chance to work through a few of those lineups.”

In the season opener, the Warhawks (1-1) used quick starts in each set to gain control against Lamar (0-1). ULM used a 5-0 run early in the first set to grab a 10-3 lead on a kill by junior Cali Assaley. Lamar closed as close as two and three points, but the Warhawks answered each Cardinal run. Senior Haley Coulter’s kill capped the first set for the Warhawks with a 25-22 win.

In the second set, ULM led by as much as seven after back-to-back service aces by senior Catherine Griffith gave the Warhawks an 11-4 lead. ULM led 19-14 when the Cardinals caught fire. Lamar scored 11 of the final 12 points of the set to take the 25-20 decision to even the match at a set apiece.

ULM regrouped in the third set. The Warhawks led 10-4 on a service ace by sophomore Madeline Hogan. Lamar closed within two at 10-8, but the Warhawks maintained the lead and extended it back to four on back-to-back Cardinal attack errors to lead 18-14. Like the second set, Lamar went on a run, scoring six-straight points to claim a 20-18 lead. However, ULM responded in the third set with a kill by Assaley and block assists by Griffith and Coulter to tie the match at 20. The two sides traded points until Lamar led 23-22. The Warhawks then closed the set with three straight points on kills by Coulter and Assaley and block assists from sophomore Kathryn Raschilla and senior Ina Gosen to take the third set, 25-23. ULM claimed a 2-1 lead in the match.

The final surge to the third set seemed to spark the Warhawks in the fourth set. Lamar scored the first two points of the fourth set before ULM scored five straight points, including two kills from Gosen, to take the 5-2 lead. The Warhawks pulled away in the set and led by as much as eight at 16-8. Lamar closed as close as three, but Coulter picked up four of the final five Warhawk points of the match to help take the fourth set, 25-18, and the match, 3-1.

“Our team was fired up from the start, but also worked through those first-game jitters,” Olson said. “We ran a very balanced offense and focused on our side of the net.”

Coulter had a strong debut. The Angelo State transfer led the Warhawks with 21 kills, 23 digs and two service aces. Assaley picked up 11 kills while Gosen had 10. Junior McKinley Thiede tallied 27 assists while sophomore Darby Fisher had 16. Hogan chipped in 19 digs and freshman Chloe Jordan had 18 in her ULM debut.

In the nightcap against SFA (3-1), the Ladyjacks dominated the first and third sets, while the Warhawks stayed close in the second set.

In the opening set, SFA surged to a 10-1 lead and never looked back in a 25-8 win.

In the second set, the Ladyjacks led by as much as seven, but ULM stayed close most of the set, playing within three to four points for most of the frame. The Warhawks used a four-point spurt to close within one at 20-19 on a kill by Coulter. However, SFA scored the next five points to take the set, 25-20.

In the final set, the Ladyjacks continued the momentum that was established at the end of the second set. SFA scored the first seven points of the set and led 16-1 before ULM made a charge to get within 10. The Ladyjacks won the set, 25-11, to take the match, 3-0.

“We took on a very tough opponent in a very tough environment,” Olson said. “Our nerves may have gotten the better of us, and kudos to SFA, they played error-free volleyball. We are excited for another chance to play them next week on a neutral floor in Mobile, Alabama.”

Sophomore Shaska Davis led ULM with six kills. Thiede picked up 15 assists. Coulter had 18 digs, while Hogan and Jordan had 10 each.

The Warhawks wrap up the opening weekend of the season against Houston Baptist at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Shelton Gym in Nacogdoches.

“Overall, we saw some shining moments,” Olson said. “We will focus on the positive and work on stringing those shining moments together for tomorrow’s match against HBU. We look forward to compete another day.”

A link to live stats for Saturday’s match against HBU is available on the volleyball schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com.