HOUSTON – After a pair of disappointing results to open the HBU Classic, the Louisiana Tech volleyball team responded, notching a 3-0 (25-12, 25-18, 25-12) triumph over Prairie View A&M on Saturday afternoon from Sharp Gym.
 
LA Tech (1-2) earned its first win of the 2018 season behind efficient hitting and strong defense in a complete team effort across the board. The Techsters hit a season-best .310 as a team, while limiting Prairie View (0-3) to a -0.11 hitting percentage through the course of the match.
 
"I am very happy with the way the team competed today," head coach Adriano de Souza remarked. "They pressed the issue and showed great competitive posture throughout the match. This win showed us that we can respond and make adjustments to our game throughout the entire weekend."
 
Eight different Lady Techsters notched at least one kill, led specifically by junior middle blocker Madeline Davis (nine kills) and junior outside hitter Kaitlyn Adams (eight kills). Davis' nine kills came on 15 attempts, resulting in a .600 attack percentage for the match. The veteran Davis also showed up defensively, tallying five total blocks (one solo, four assists).
 
Defensively, six different Techsters ended the match with three or more digs as Carter Mirich (eight digs), Lara Hendricks (seven digs), Alyssa Zucco (seven digs), Abigail Hildenbrand (five digs), Mia Prostran (five digs) and Adams (three digs) all chipped in for the total team defensive effort.
 
The Techsters roared out of the gates to begin the match, owning a 10-2 lead through the first 12 points. Then later, with a 14-7 lead, Tech pounced and went on an immediate 7-0, stretching the lead to 14 points at 21-7, and easily closing out the first frame.
 
The second set saw a recipe much the same as the first, as Tech jumped out to a 5-1 edge. Prairie View would respond, drawing to within one on several occasions, but the Techsters would take seven of the final eight points, securing a set-two triumph, and taking a commanding 2-0 lead.
 
In the third, Prairie View took the first two points for its first lead of the match, but Tech would refuse to be rattled, and with an 18-12 lead, notched the final seven points, securing the match triumph.
 
Tech's win over Prairie View was the best defensive effort from any team in the weekend tournament, as the Techsters limited their Saturday opponent to just 42 points in the match (the least of any match this weekend).
 
Tech will return to action next Friday at the North Dakota tournament, taking on Eastern Washington at 10 a.m. and North Dakota at 7 p.m. Stay tuned to LATechSports.com and follow @LATechVB on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for all breaking news and updates regarding LA Tech volleyball.