HAMMOND, La. – Louisiana Tech split its matches on the opening day of the Southeastern Showdown, outlasting Jackson State in five sets before falling to Southeastern on Friday at the University Center.
 
MATCH ONE
LA Tech opened the 2025 season by grinding out a five-set thriller over Jackson State.  The Bulldogs showed poise and depth in a back-and-forth battle, ultimately prevailing 3-2 (25-22, 24-26, 22-25, 25-17, 15-11).
 
Tech's front line set the tone defensively, piling up 21 team blocks to frustrate the Tigers' attack. Charlize Williams led the charge at the net with 12 blocks (eight coming in the first set alone), while Kaeden Robinson anchored the back row with a team-high 14 digs.
 
On the offensive side, Jailen Hurley sparked the attack with 11 kills while Grace Krohn, Sydnee Carter, and Robinson combined for 34 assists.  It was a balanced offense in the fifth and deciding set as Hurley, Giulia Bonifacio, and Megan Cooley each provided three kills.   
 
The Bulldogs rallied in the opening set after trailing 19-13, storming back behind key blocks from Williams to take it 25-22.  JSU evened the match with a tight 26-24 win in set two, grabbing three straight points after facing a set point.  The Tigers then edged LA Tech again in the third, 25-22.
 
Facing elimination, LA Tech responded in dominant fashion, controlling the frame 25-17 to force a winner-take-all fifth.  The Bulldogs carried that momentum into the final set, using a balanced attack (hit .375 as a team) and a late 4-0 run to close out the Tigers, 15-11.
 
LA Tech finished the match with 50 kills, 52 digs, and hit .191 as a squad.  Jackson State managed 54 kills but was held to just a .098 hitting percentage.
 
MATCH TWO
In the night cap of day one of the season-opening event, LA Tech fell in straight sets to host Southeastern.  The back-to-back Southland Conference regular season champion Lions used big runs in the middle of the sets to come out on top, 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-13).
 
The Bulldogs found success on offense, registering a .228 hitting percentage, anchored by Hurley who tallied a team-high 12 kills on 19 total attacks.  However, the SLU countered with a .348 hitting percentage, thanks to a combined 25 kills by Kyra McKelvey and India Bennett.
 
LA Tech's best opportunity came in the first set, getting a kill by Zari Gillispie to get to within two points at 21-19.  However, the Lions won four of the next five points to take the opening set, 25-20.
 
SLU pulled away with long runs – 8-0 in the second and 10-0 in the third – to down LA Tech. 
 
For a second straight match, Robinson reached double-digit digs with 10 while the freshman Carter tallied a team-high 15 assists.    
 
QUOTABLES
Head coach Scott Mattera
 
On the win over Jackson State
"It certainly looked like a first match in the first few games, but credit Jackson State – that is a nice team that won 19 matches last year and made the post season NIVT.  We finally got the offense a bit more on track and just played with a lot more confidence."
 
"Our block this morning is the reason we are 1-0 and not 0-1.  Charlize, Gabrielle, and Giulia really kept us in it and gave us a chance to win with their play along the net.  I am really proud of the fight – down 2-1 and did not blink.  This is a fun team to watch, and they are even more fun to coach!"
 
On the loss to SLU
"While the scores were not what we wanted, I thought that in some ways we played better in this match.  Our offense scored when we ran our stuff well and that offers a lot of hope for the future.  SLU is a conference championship team with some talented players.  Our "A" can hang, they just showed their "A" game a lot more consistently."
 
"Jailen [Hurley] really got her feet to the ball well and scored at a very high clip because of it."
 
NOTABLES

• LA Tech now leads the all-time series against Jackson State, 14-1.  The Bulldogs have won 11 straight over the Tigers.
• The Bulldogs registered 21 blocks versus the Tigers, the fifth most in a single match in program history (most since 1999).
• Charlize Williams registered a career-high 12 blocks, tied for the third most in a single match in program history (one shy of tying the mark). 
• Jailen Hurley reached double-digit kills in both matches, posting a team-high 11 against JSU and 12 versus SLU.  She now has 13 career matches of double-digit kills at LA Tech.
• Kaeden Robinson collected her first double-double as a Bulldog with 15 digs and 10 assists versus the Tigers.
• Grace Krohn tied her career high with 13 assists, which came against JSU.
• Freshman Sydnee Carter started both matches at setter, registering double-digit assists in both – 11 against JSU and a team-high 15 versus SLU.

UP NEXT
LA Tech will close out the Southeastern Showdown on Saturday against ULM.  First serve is set for 11 a.m. CT with live stats available at LATechSports.com/Stats.
 
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