Box Score Nov. 4, 2016 Final Stats
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The last time Louisiana Tech won three consecutive conference games, current Lady Techsters were wandering elementary school halls.
That all changed on Friday night as Louisiana Tech went on the road and defeated Charlotte 3-1 (19-25, 25-21, 25-22, 25-20) in Charlotte, North Carolina, securing their third consecutive conference win for the first time since 1999.
"I am incredibly happy for all of our players tonight," Louisiana Tech head coach Adriano de Souza said. "No matter what happened in the match, they continued to maintain a strong posture and continued to believe in each other and what they could bring to the game."
Louisiana Tech was led by Marta Monne's dominating performance which included 21 kills, 15 digs and a .513 attacking percentage. Angela Papach also reached the 20-kill mark, while Lala Aviles registered a game-high 31 digs in the match. Brooke Short helped guide the powerful LA Tech attack with 46 sets.
"They really played together tonight and fought for every point in front of them," de Souza said. "They showed perseverance which is a very good quality for any team."
After Charlotte controlled the first set, Louisiana Tech fought back in the second set, jumping out to an early lead that they would never relinquish. Charlotte did cut it to 15-14, but LA Tech would score three straight to pull back in front.
In a crucial third set, the Lady Techsters and 49ers traded blows and the two teams sat tied at 18-18 late in the set. Kills from Hannah Wright and Papach, along with an attacking error from Charlotte, gave LA Tech an edge they would hold on to, eventually winning the set 25-22.
"The team embraced the hard work that Marta and Angie put forth tonight, as those two had a fantastic match achieving 21 and 20 kills in the match," de Souza remarked.
The fourth and final set featured a similar story line as the match was tied at 17-17. LA Tech could never get more than a one-point advantage, until the Lady Techsters won three straight points to pull ahead 23-19. A kill from Monne ended the set at 25-20 and the match at 3-1.
"This is an important win for our program and now we must focus on our next match on Sunday," de Souza concluded.
LA Tech will immediately be back on the road tomorrow as the Lady Techsters travel to Denton, Texas, where they will take on North Texas on Sunday at 1 p.m. For all of the latest on Louisiana Tech Volleyball, follow @LATechVB on Twitter or Instagram or visit the official home of Louisiana Tech athletics, LATechSports.com.
