Louisiana rallied from two match points down to force a fifth set, but Southern Miss pulled away for a 3-2 win in Lafayette. The loss leaves the Ragin’ Cajuns needing a Saturday victory to claim the head-to-head tiebreaker and improve their position in the Sun Belt West race.

By the Numbers
  • Sarah Schnell: career-high 20 kills on .319 hitting.
  • Final score: 25-22, 20-25, 22-25, 26-24, 9-15.
  • Louisiana: 11-13 overall, 6-5 in Sun Belt play; Southern Miss: 15-7, 6-5.
  • Louisiana led in digs, 94-82, and blocks, 10-9; Southern Miss led in kills, 65-61, and hitting percentage, .210-.175.
Yes, But

Louisiana showed resilience by erasing two match points in the fourth set, but Southern Miss answered with a 6-1 run in the deciding frame and hit .350 to close out the win.

State of Play
  • Both teams are 6-5 in Sun Belt play, and the series winner gains the head-to-head tiebreaker.
  • A series win would put the winner in a stronger position for a top-three finish in the SBC West and a first-round tournament bye.
What’s Next

The teams meet again Saturday, Oct. 31, at 2 p.m. at E.K. Long Gym. Louisiana needs a win to split the series, earn the tiebreaker and regain a one-game lead over Southern Miss in the division standings.

Bottom Line

Louisiana is still in position to shape its postseason path, but Saturday’s rematch is pivotal: a win restores its division advantage, while another loss hands Southern Miss the series tiebreaker.