Boxscore:
Ruston, La. - The University of Nevada(14-9, 8-3 WAC) volleyball team won a hard fought Western Athletic Conference match from Louisiana Tech at the Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston, La. Saturday night by scores of 30-26, 30-22, 32-34, and 36-34 to improve to 14-9 on the season and 8-3 in conference action. The Lady Techsters were kept winless in WAC play at 0-10 and are 6-21 on the year.
Nevada started the match by scoring the first four points of game one and never trailed in winning 30-26. The Pack struggled hitting just .190 but held LTU to a .068 attack percentage.
The Pack gained control of game two early jumping to a 10-2 advantage and led by as many as 12 points in winning 30-22 to take a commanding 2-0 games advantage in the match. Nevada increased its attack percentage to .229 but the Lady Techsters out hit them at .242.
Game three featured 22 ties and 14 lead changes before LTU won 34-32 to close within a game at 2-1. With the game tied at 32-32 the Pack committed back to back attack errors to give LTU the game. Nevada managed to hit just .085 and the Lady Techsters had the best attack percentage of the night at .250.
Nevada was looking to avoid playing its fourth, five-game match in five outings and did just that winning game four 36-34. The final game of the night was tied 22 times and there were six lead changes before the Pack prevailed. A kill by Pack senior outside hitter Carly Sorensen gave Nevada 35-34 advantage and a ball handling error by LTU’s Jillian Walker gave the Pack the two-point lead it needed to win the game and match. The Wolf Pack hit .191 and LTU .218 in the final game.
Teal Ericson led three Pack players in double figures with 17 kills. Sorensen added 14 kills and Karly Sipherd 12. Sorensen totaled 12 digs to post her team leading10th double-double of the season. Using two setters for the first time this season the Pack got a career high 27 assists from freshman Sonnie Sei and 22 from senior Tristin Johnson. Sei recorded her first career double-double as she added 11 digs. Libero KatiJo Matthews led Nevada with 13 digs on the night.
Ambra Hayes and Shannon Phillips tied for match high honors with 21 kills for LTU. Hayes and Phillips both recorded double-doubles as they finished with 14 and 13 digs to top the Lady Techsters. Kristen Fairbanks also reached double figures in kills finishing with 10. Walker dished out a match high 56 assists.
LTU hit .196 compared to the Pack’s .170 attack percentage. Nevada won the blocking battled 13-6. Sipherd equaled her career high with nine blocks and Ericson added five. Samantha Crowder had four blocks to top LTU.
Nevada returns home to play its final two regular season matches of the season Thursday at 7:30 p.m. versus Hawai`i and on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. against Fresno State.
