Stephen F. Austin
Louisiana Tech
Ladyjacks Win Louisiana Tech Invitational
9/13/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
RUSTON, Louisiana – The Stephen F. Austin women’s volleyball team took down Texas-Pan American 3-1 (25-21, 26-28, 25-21, 25-21) and followed with another 3-1 (25-17, 25-20, 22-25, 25-20) victory over the Louisiana Tech on Saturday inside Thomas Assembly Center to win the Louisiana Tech Fairfield Inn Volleyball Invitational.
The Ladyjacks (6-5) landed three on the all-tournament team, featuring MVP OJ Olson. Junior Madison Martin and sophomore Justice Walker were also honored after helping SFA go 3-0 over the weekend to claim the first team tournament victory of the year.
Olson, a junior from Cedar Park, Texas, racked up 64 digs over the three-game span.
Martin recorded 39 digs in the tournament and Walker finished with 28 kills and had a hand in 12 blocks for SFA.
The Ladyjacks, winners of their last four matches, will return to action on Friday, Sept. 19, when they travel to Houston for the Rice Invitational. The team will open tournament play against Louisville at 12:30 p.m. before facing Texas Southern and host Rice during the two-day event.
SFA 3, UTPA 1 Box Score
The Ladyjacks started the day with a 3-1 win over the Broncs (1-8). Senior Jill Ivy paced the offensive attack with a season-high 21 kills on 42 attempts. Her .405 attack percentage was also a season-best.
Paige Holland also turned in one of her best matches of the season. The senior recorded season-highs with 52 assists and eight kills in the match, while also chipping in three service aces and six digs.
Walker converted 11 attacks and didn’t commit an error in 22 chances, for a .500 attack percentage.
Junior Jacque Allen and Olson sparked the defense for SFA. Allen led the squad with seven block assists and a solo block, while Olson dug up 25 balls from the back line.
Holland opened the match with a service ace and the Ladyjacks never looked back in the opening set. SFA never trailed in the period and led by as many as seven at 22-15. UTPA used a late run to cut the Ladyjack lead to 23-21, but an Allen kill and a Bronco attack error allowed the SFA to claim the first set 25-21.
UTPA scored two quick points in the second set to take their first lead of the match, 2-0. The Broncos extended their advantage to 10-6, forcing head coach Debbie Humphreys to call a timeout.
After the break, SFA went on a 6-2 run to even the score at 12-12 and took their first lead of the set 19-18 after consecutive kills from Ivy and Walker.
The teams battled within a two-point window the rest of the way before a Haley Durham kill helped the Broncos take set two 28-26, snapping SFA’s seven set winning streak. Durham spoiled a Ladyjack set point at 26-25 with a kill and finished the set with another winner. The UTPA junior led the team with 20 kills on the afternoon.
Holland started the third set with her second ace of the match and SFA didn’t relinquish the lead on its way to another 25-21 decision.
The Ladyjacks fell behind at the start of the fourth set, but three UTPA attack errors and another Holland serving ace put SFA on top 13-12. From there, the squad cruised to another 25-21 win in the frame to earn the 3-1 victory.
SFA 3, LA Tech 1 Box Score
Holland notched her third double-double of the year, Ivy and Walker chipped in 13 kills apiece and Olson dug 21 balls from the back line to lead the Ladyjacks to the 3-1 victory over LA Tech (4-5) in Saturday’s nightcap.
Holland dished out 47 assists and tallied 14 digs in the match. She racked up 130 assists overall in the tournament, averaging 11.82 a set.
Walker committed just one attack error to go along with her 13 kills, swinging at yet another impressive .444 clip.
SFA jumped out to an early advantage in set one and led the entire way thanks in part to five Walker kills.
After splitting the next two sets, the Ladyjacks raced out to a 16-3 lead in the fourth and held on to win 25-20 to close out the tournament.
-SFA-
