Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
Louisiana Tech’s volleyball team is looking to bounce back when they host the Battle for the Boot at the Thomas Assembly Center on September 13-14.
The Battle for the Boot is in its third year and offers teams from Louisiana a chance to play each other close to home. All four teams have participated each year, with Southeastern hosting the first tournament and Northwestern State hosting last season’s event.
Tech hosts Southeastern tonight at 6 p.m. and then will host Northwestern State Saturday at 11 a.m. and Southern at 2:30 p.m.
“It feels great to get a break from traveling and get to compete at home this weekend,” said Tech head coach Amber McCray. “Our annual Battle of the Boot tournament provides three opportunities for us to compete against in-state teams and student-athletes we are very familiar with. We have been working all week to clean up areas that most plagued us last weekend, namely our offense and ability to score points by staying aggressive in all aspects of the game.
“We know we can be more disciplined from the start of each match, and especially in the red zone when we need the extra push to finish. This weekend provides a valuable opportunity bounce back, and I’m excited to see us do just that. “
Louisiana Tech (3-4) is coming off the Wooo Pig Invitational, where they lost to Little Rock, Rutgers, and No. 21 Arkansas.
Giulia Bonifacio continues to lead the Bulldogs’ offensive attack. The junior transfer has led Tech in kills in six of the seven matches this season. Her 3.05 kills per set are eighth in the conference.
Rori Gray continues to leave her mark as one of the top freshmen. She currently ranks 27th in the nation and second in the conference with a .442 hitting percentage, the top freshman in the country. She also ranks 22nd in the conference with 2.21 kills per set.
On the defensive side of the ball, Charlize Williams averages 1.05 blocks per set, ranking eighth in the league.
After McKenzie Johnson suffered a season-ending injury, Riley Steubing stepped up for the Bulldogs at Libero. In two sets against Little Rock, the sophomore finished with 15 digs for a new career high. She would break that mark with 18 against Rutgers and lead the team with 11 against No. 22 Arkansas.
Southeastern (3-4) has reached the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two seasons but are off to a slow start due to the departure of key contributors.
After dropping their first four matches of the season, Southeastern has won three straight heading into the Battle for the Boot.
Northwestern State (4-3) is another team that has been making adjustments this season. Northwestern State started the season 4-1 with a win against UL-Lafayette but has lost two straight, including falling to Grambling on Tuesday night.
Southern (1-6) has struggled out the block but hope their win against New Orleans propels them into a winning streak.
Dawn Barnes is leading the Jaguars in her first year in Baton Rouge. Barnes came to Southern after spending last season at Phoenix College and has made stops at South Carolina State, Chicago State, and Howard.
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