RUSTON – Fans got their first glimpse of the 2022 Louisiana Tech volleyball team on Sunday afternoon as the Blue team defeated the Red team, 2-1 (27-25, 15-25, 15-7), inside the Thomas Assembly Center.
 
It was the 16th practice of fall camp, which officially got underway on Aug. 9, as the players went head-to-head in a 75-minute intrasquad scrimmage.
 
"It is always good to watch our players compete," said head coach Amber McCray, who enters her fourth season at the helm.  "This team is going to be really exciting to watch.  We have a lot of different options of players in multiple positions who are capable of terminating the ball.  I think that is going to be one of the biggest differences from last year that will help us going into our 2022 season."
 
In the first set, the Red team strung together four straight points to take a 21-16 lead following a kill from Imana Ellis.  However, the Blue team closed the game and ended up taking the set, 27-25.
 
The Red team gained the same amount of separation in the second set, but this time kept the Blue team at bay by closing things out with six straight points to even the match at 1-1.
 
With the third and deciding set tied up at 5-all, the Blue team took the win after going on a 10-2 run to secure the third set win of 15-7.
 
"We need to continue to work on our connections," said McCray.  "This team has already proven that we have the pieces, but we are also very new together.  We have six newcomers and two more who were out all of last season.  There are some areas where that newness shows.  We are going to keep working on those connections and that chemistry, passing next to each other, setting one another, clean those things up so good things can happen."
 
The newcomers showed their potential as freshman Jailen Hurley led all Lady Techsters with eight kills, followed by transfer Chard'e Vanzandt and Andrea Spasojevic (missed all of 2021 with an injury) who both had seven kills.
 
"One of the positions that has the potential to be the biggest strength for us this season is our outside play," said McCray.  "We are having some dominant outsides, one being our newcomer Chard'e Vanzandt and Andrea Spasojevic who was out last season due to injury.  They continue to show that they are going to be major threats over there in that position."
 
Mallory Meers led the way with 13 assists while Second Team All-Conference USA selection McKenzie Johnson had a game-high 10 digs.
 
LA Tech opens the 2022 season on Friday, Aug. 26 at the Big Orange Bash in Clemson, South Carolina.  The Lady Techsters will face Austin Peay at 9:30 a.m. and Presbyterian at 3:30 p.m.
 
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