HBU Huskies (0-0) at Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (0-0)
Friday, Sept. 4 – 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 5 – Noon
Lafayette, La. – Earl K. Long Gym
Watch (ESPN+)
Live Stats
LAFAYETTE, La. – HBU hits the road for a pair of matches against Louisiana as the volleyball season opens Friday and Saturday at Earl K. Long Gym. Both matches will be shown on ESPN+, with Friday's match beginning at 6:30 p.m., followed by the rematch Saturday at noon.
Up until late last week, these were the only NCAA Division I matches scheduled. Three other teams will now be in action on Friday, but the Huskies and Ragin' Cajuns will have the slate all to themselves on Saturday.
HBU is coming off a 17-15 season last year and finished sixth in the Southland Conference with a 9-7 mark to make its seventh-straight Southland Conference Tournament appearance. Senior outside hitter
Mikayla Vivens is a two-time all-conference selection and led the Huskies with 3.37 kills and 3.76 digs per set in 2019. Junior outside hitter
Kelly Colwell added 2.63 kills and 3.18 digs per set. Junior
Ebonie Ballesteros (1.79 k/, 1.06 blocks/s) and senior
Megan Patillo (1.75 k/s, 0.79 b/s) both return in the middle. Senior setter
Morgan Dewyer led the league with 9.30 assists per set and 53 service aces.
The Huskies also return five other letterwinners, three redshirts and welcome three freshmen. HBU lost one starter on the right side in
Ashtyn Richey, plus
Hannah Lewis, who had filled the libero role most of the last two seasons, and defensive specialist
Camie Copeland.
Lousiana went 14-16 overall, but finished fifth in the Sun Belt Conference with a 10-6 record. The Ragin' Cajuns return their top offensive weapon in outside hitter Hali Wisnoskie, who averaged 3.26 kills and 2.67 digs per set last year. Outside hitter Kelsey Bennett averaged 2.20 kills and 2.73 digs per set and setter Avery Breaux paced the offense with 8.44 assists per set.
HBU will play a total of six matches this fall, facing ULM and Stephen F. Austin next on Sept. 12 in Nacogdoches, followed by UTEP and Texas State on Sept. 19 in San Marcos. The Southland Conference is exploring the possibility of holding a championship in the spring.
