MIAMI, Fla. – The Louisiana Tech volleyball team dropped their second match to Florida International on Saturday afternoon at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center in Miami, Fla.
 
LA Tech (5-9, 0-2) drew first blood in with a quick 4-2 lead, but FIU (6-9, 2-0) quickly battled their way back into the set. With the Bulldogs holding on to a one-point lead, the Panthers went on a 5-0 run, forcing Tech to call a timeout. Tech would call another timeout down 15-11, but FIU would pull away, claiming the last three points to take the first set.
 
The Bulldogs found their footing in the second set. With the teams trading points and tied at 13, FIU would get two straight to force Tech to call a timeout. FIU would get the point out of the time out, but the Bulldogs would get two straight of their own to cut the lead to one and again to tie it up at 18. The teams would trade points until FIU got two in a row to create separation. Tech would call a timeout and return to tie it up at 23. FIU would use their first timeout of the set and find a way to get the final two points to take a 2-0 advantage.
 
LA Tech took the first two points of the third set to gain an early advantage. Sydney Jackwin would be a part of every point for the Bulldogs in a 4-1 run that forced FIU to call a timeout. Tech would get two more out of that timeout before FIU went on a four-point run where the Bulldogs would call their timeout. FIU would get the next point out of the timeout before the Bulldogs stopped the run with a kill by Jailen Hurley. Tech would use their last timeout after two straight attack errors that gave FIU an 18-16 lead. FIU would hold onto that lead and take the match 3-0 (25-17, 26-24, 25-19).
 
QUOTABLES
Head coach Amber McCray
 
"Despite the loss, there were so many bright spots today for us to build on. We actually played and executed the game plan much better than last night, but so did FIU and they were able to do so with the confidence of last night's sweep under their belt. I'm beyond proud of Anaya Hairston right now who came in  and gave us the physicality and blocking we needed at the net to keep us in this match. I believe Lauren Albrecht also did a solid job running the offense and providing much needed leadership from the setting position full time today. We find a way to win set 2 and not make critical errors down the stretch, today is a totally different ball game. There's a lot of season left, and I'm confident we can make the strides we need to win those close sets and convert those to winning matches, as well."
 
  
NOTABLES

• Jackwin finished with a team-high 13 kills on a .345 hitting clip.
• With 21 assists, Lauren Albrecht extended her streak of 10+ assists to 12 straight matches. She has 15+ in 10 of those 12 and 20+ assists in five games.
• Grace Luevanos finished with two aces, the fourth time this season she recorded multiple.

 
UP NEXT
LA Tech returns to the Thomas Assembly Center to take on New Mexico State on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 29-30.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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