Louisiana Tech University
7-9,0-2Sun Belt
Southern Miss
11-2,2-0Sun Belt
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Miss. | 25 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Louisiana Tech | 16 | 25 | 16 | 21 | 1 |
Bulldogs Fight Against Golden Eagles in Loss
9/26/2026 4:46:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Louisiana Tech volleyball fell to Southern Miss, 3-1, Saturday afternoon inside the Thomas Assembly Center.
RUSTON – Louisiana Tech volleyball fell to Southern Miss, 3-1, Saturday afternoon inside the Thomas Assembly Center.
Tyra McKinnie and Gabrielle Hairston led the team in kills with nine apiece, while Taylor Woods followed closely with eight of her own. Hairston hit .421 percent, the highest of any player in the match. The team notched 12 blocks, improving from five the night before against the Golden Eagles.
Louisiana Tech took an early advantage in the first set at 4-1, but Southern Miss battled back to take a 15-11 lead at the media timeout. That lead stayed strong the rest of the point, ending with a 25-16 Golden Eagle win. Anaya Hairston got the start in the set, notching a pair of kills and a block.
The second point stayed close until the Bulldogs ripped a 6-0 run to take an 11-4 advantage in the set. Southern Miss managed to tie it late at 20 apiece, but Louisiana Tech rallied behind two G. Hairston kills to win the set 25-23. G. Hairston secured five kills in the point, while Grace Krohn led with six assists. Riley Steubing defended the back line, notching a game high eight digs in the set. Â
Southern Miss responded in the third set, hitting .393 and taking the frame 25-16. The Golden Eagles used a 13-3 run to close out the frame. Four Bulldogs added a pair of digs while Krohn led in assists again with seven.
Louisiana Tech continued to fight in the fourth, keeping the set within one point at 15-15 before Southern Miss pulled away late. The Golden Eagles used a 7-1 run to build a 23-18 advantage before securing the match with a 25-21 victory.
Sydnee Carter and Krohn both finished the match with 18 assists while Steubing finished with 16 digs. Five Bulldogs registered at least seven digs in the match.
QUOTABLES
Head coach Scott Mattera
Fixed a few things technically and strategically. I am happy with the effort and energy today, I thought that was present. We just did not make a couple of plays that we needed to make, especially down the stretch. Credit to Southern Miss, they are a good, disciplined team and coach Hazelwood is a legend. Our stuff works, we just need the consistency to pick up.Â
NOTABLES
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Krohn tied the lead in assists for the Bulldogs with 18 in only her second match since returning from injury.
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Steubing led the Bulldogs with 18 digs.
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The Bulldogs improved from 5.0 blocks to 12.0 in today's match against the Golden Eagles, the second most by the team this season.
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G. Hairston and McKinnie led the team with nine kills each, the fifth time for McKinnie and the fourth for G. Hairston.Â
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McKinnie led the team in kills in both matches against Southern Miss.Â
UP NEXT
The Bulldogs travel to Mobile, Alabama to face South Alabama in another Sun Belt weekend series. The first match will be on Oct. 1 at 6:00 p.m. CT and will be streamed on ESPN+.
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