JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Louisiana Tech fell to Jacksonville State in four sets (25-22, 25-16, 19-25, 25-19) to end their season at Pete Mathews Coliseum on Friday night.
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Like the previous day, the sets were tightly contested through the first half. Six LA Tech (8-23, 2-16) players scored points on their way to a 15-12 lead at the first media timeout. With the Bulldogs up 17-15, Jax State (10-21, 4-16) went on the offensive and used a 6-0 run to take the lead. Tech would work to pull back within two late, but the Gamecocks would close out the first set.
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After hitting .273 in the first, Tech couldn't get anything going in the second. Their defense kept it close early and only trailed 15-13 heading into the media timeout. Four straight points by the home team pushed the lead to six and the Bulldogs didn't get any closer.
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The roles reversed in the third, with Tech hitting .306 while Jax State was limited to just .167. The Bulldogs built a 10-4 lead, forcing the Gamecocks to use their first timeout early. Jax State pulled back within three, but a 7-2 run by LA Tech gave them the separation they needed to take the third.
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Jax State jumped out to a 10-5 lead, but Tech didn't go down without a fight. The Bulldogs used a 10-4 run to grab the lead momentarily. However, the Gamecocks got the next four points and didn't relinquish the lead.
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LA Tech finished with a .262 hitting clip led by Charlize Williams with nine kills on a .615 mark with four blocks. Giulia Bonifacio had eight kills and 14 digs, while Lauren Albrecht had 20 assists and 10 digs for a double-double.
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Jacksonville State hit .317 for the match with three players in double-figure kills, led by Kayla Williams with 22. Caty Havekost and Sanni Rantanen finished with 13 apiece.
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QUOTABLES
Head coach
Amber McCray
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" This is certainly not the way we wanted to close the season, but once again we struggled to keep up with JSU's offense. Our middles, Charlie and Mariah, were both highly efficient offensively hitting over .400. We needed to get them more balls and to keep our offense spread so we could create more opportunity for our pins. I'm thankful for our seniors and all they have done to contribute to our program. We will miss them tremendously, but we wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors."
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NOTABLES
- Charlize Williams has had a block in 27 consecutive matches.
- Williams tied the program record with 1.24 blocks per set and tied for fifth with 128 total blocks.
- Williams hit over .500 for the fifth time this season with 10 or more attempts.
- The double-double was Lauren Albrecht's 10th at LA Tech.
- Albrecht finished with 1,416 assists for her career.
- The five kills were a season high for Mariah Jones.
- Nine Bulldogs finished with a kill and 12 finished with a point.
- Tech had 14 players finished with a point or a dig.
- Tech dropped to 2-3 all-time against Jacksonville State.
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