RUSTON -- The Lady Techsters volleyball team hung on for a 3-2 win over New Orleans to wrap up the LA Tech Invitation Saturday afternoon inside the Thomas Assembly Center.
 
LA Tech improves to 6-8 overall with the win, while New Orleans falls to 0-8 on the year.
 
The Lady Techsters jumped all over New Orleans in set one surging out to a 6-3 lead. The Privateers used a 4-0 run to knot things up at 7-7 and took a 11-9 lead before the Lady Techsters were able to put together a 6-1 run of their own, featuring a pair of kills by sophomore Faith Menary and a kill and an ace by senior Jordyn Carswell to push their advantage out to 18-15. LA Tech would hold a two point lead the remained of the set before a kill by sophomore Morgan Smith gave the Lady Techsters a 25-21 set win.
 
In the second set, New Orleans surged out to early 7-2 and 13-6 leads. The Lady Techsters would show some life, using a 4-0 run, including a pair of service aces from sophomore Mallory Meers to cut the deficit down to 13-10. After a pair of points by New Orleans gave the Privateers a 15-10 advantage, LA Tech scored 13 of the next 15 points to surge out to a 23-17 lead. Four Lady Techsters recorded kills, while sophomore Carly Doros picked up a solo block during the run. Back-to-back kills from Smith gave LA Tech a 25-19 set win and a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
With the score knotted at 7-7 in set three, New Orleans used a 4-0 run to take a 11-7 advantage. LA Tech cut the deficit to two twice, 12-10 and 14-12, before another 5-1 run pushed New Orleans out to a 19-13 lead. A solo block by Smith sparked a 4-0 run by LA Tech to cut New Orleans lead down to 19-17. Both teams traded points before kills from freshman Jaena Bell, Doros and Smith evened things up at 24-24, but New Orleans claimed the set with a 29-27 set win.
 
Set four saw the Lady Techsters use a 5-0 run, featuring a service ace by sophomore Samantha Hick and a double-block by Smith and Meers to give Tech a 7-5 lead. Doros and sophomore Mackenzie Murray combined on a double-stuff to push the Lady Techsters advantage out to 9-12, before New Orleans was able to knot things up at 13-13. Following a 3-0 run by Tech, New Orleans scored six straight points to hold a 19-16 lead. A kill by Smith capped off a 3-0 run by LA Tech, but another 3-0 run by the Privateers finished off set four and evened the match up at 2-2.
 
LA Tech used a kill and a service ace by Smith to jump out to an early 4-2 lead. A 3-0 run, highlighted by a kill from Meers pushed the Lady Techsters out in front 10-6. New Orleans would use a 3-0 of their own to knot things up at 13-13 before Menary 19^th kill of the afternoon gave the Lady Techsters a 15-13 set win.
 
 
NOTABLES

• LA Tech improves to 14-16 all-time against New Orleans.
• Faith Menary lead the Lady Techsters offense with 19 kills.
• Morgan Smith collected 13 kills while hitting .379.
• Jordyn Carswell recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 10 kills and a season-high 15 digs.
• Smith recorded seven total blocks to lead Tech's front row.
• McKenzie Johnson led the Lady Techsters with 20 digs, the sixth game this season of 20+ digs.
• Johnson has recorded 11 or more digs in all but one game this season.
• Mallory Meers dished out 35 assists, while also collecting four total blocks.
• LA Tech out-blocked New Orleans 12-6.

QUOTABLE
Head Coach Amber McCray
"We saw some areas of success this weekend and we saw multiple areas to improve on. We need to be better about playing low error and capitalizing on "advantage Tech" plays throughout the match. After dropping two five-setters in the past week it was good to see us grind out one for a win."

UP NEXT
LA Tech returns to action next week on the road to open up Conference USA play at UTSA in San Antonio, Texas. The match up between the Lady Techsters and the Roadrunners is set for 6 p.m. on Friday night.

SOCIAL MEDIA
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