On December 3rd, the Bulldogs traveled to The Big Easy to face Tulane Univeristy, ULL, and the University of New Orleans in the first pre-season match of the year. This is the first match both the teams have faced in an official setting apart from the ULM scrimmage played in October.
Louisiana Tech Red faced UNO to start the day off. With anxieties and nerves, UNO pulled ahead to win the match in two sets - but not without showing scrappiness of Tech and their ability to force long rallies. UNO played a double-header, falling to Louisiana Tech Blue in their first match of the day. The Blue team showed a lot of height and power as they won their match in two sets.
The Red Team then fell to Tulane University while the Blue Team pulled their second win out against ULL. During the ULL game, Outside Hitter Christian Cockrell left the match due to a knee injuring, resulting in rookie Zane Sargent to step up to the plate and take on the full load of the new Outside.
Shortly after, both teams ended the day with a loss: Tech Blue to Tulane and Tech Red to ULL. Even with the tough losses, both teams showed a LOT of potential throughout the day. Of course, there is still work to be done, but the match gave the teams a fantastic insight on what needs to be done to help them get to that next level. Both coaches were extremely proud of the level of production from both teams and are looking forward to a rewarding season!
Coach Wug and Coach Mall would also like to personally congatulate Gavyn Morales for his performance during the match, as he stepped in to replace the starting Setter (J. Shockley) in his absence.
