RUSTON – Louisiana Tech showed its fight Friday afternoon inside the Thomas Assembly Center, storming back to claim the third set before ultimately falling 3-1 (25-15, 25-13, 20-25, 25-16) to New Mexico State.
 
After dropping the opening two frames to NM State (14-10, 7-4 CUSA), LA Tech (7-18, 0-11 CUSA) flipped the momentum in set three behind a balanced attack and key defensive stops.
 
LA Tech trailed 10-2 early but rallied with an 18-8 run fueled by timely kills from Megan Cooley, Charlize Williams, and Gabrielle Hairston.  The Bulldogs took their first lead at 18-17 and closed out the set on a 7-3 surge capped by back-to-back points from Williams.
 
LA Tech hit .281 in the third set — its best clip of the day — while limited NM State a .161 hitting percentage in the frame.
 
The home team needed another comeback in the fourth to extend the match, finding themselves down 11-2 to the Aggies.  The Bulldogs reeled off four straight points to get back into the game with back-to-back kills by Jailen Hurley and Williams, but NM State kept LA Tech at bay to take the win.
 
Cooley was a big spark for the 'Dogs.  After not playing the first set, she started the remaining three and generated a season-high eight kills to go along with four blocks and three digs.  Hurley added seven kills while Sydnee Carter directed the offense with 18 assists.
 
Defensively, Williams tallied six blocks while Riley Steubing anchored the back row with 15 digs. 
 
UP NEXT
LA Tech will square off against New Mexico State for a second time tomorrow.  First serve is set for 1 p.m. CT inside Scotty Robertson Memorial Gymnasium.
 
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