LAFAYETTE, La.  - The FIU volleyball team wrapped up a three-match road swing on Sunday afternoon with a 3-0, (25-12, 25-17, 25-21), win over Louisiana at Earl K. Long Gym in Lafayette, La.

With the win, FIU improves to 24-2 overall and 14-0 in Sun Belt Conference action. The Panthers are now winners of a school record 17 straight matches.

The first set saw FIU take control from the get-go, as the Panthers jumped out to a comfortable 11-5 lead. Louisiana battled back to within four at 14-10, but FIU went on a 6-0 run to increase its advantage to 10 at 20-10. The Ragin' Cajuns managed just two more points for the set as two kills by senior Isadora Rangel, a pair of service aces by freshman Chanel Araujo and an ace by freshman Jovana Bjelica closed out the set with FIU taking a 25-12 win.

As a team, the Panthers notched a hitting percentage of .379 for the first set, led by five kills from sophomore Andrea Lakovic. The FIU defense held Louisiana to an attack percentage of .038 in the opening stanza as the Panthers out-dug the Ragin' Cajuns, 18-9, and recorded two team blocks to Louisiana's zero blocks.

Louisiana took an early 3-2 lead and was able to tie the score on three occasions in the second set with the final tie coming at 5-5 before FIU once again took control. The Ragin' Cajuns got within one at 12-11 but would then get no closer than five as the Panthers came away with a 25-17 set victory to go ahead, 2-0, for the match.

Senior Yarimar Rosa caught fire in the second stanza to lead the FIU offense with six kills while Rangel chipped in with five as the Panthers hit at a clip of .344 for the set. The Panther defense held Louisiana to an attack percentage of .192 and out-dug the Ragin' Cajuns, 16-5.

The third set saw Louisiana come out fighting, tying the score on four occasions but the Ragin' Cajuns were never able to take a lead. Louisiana got within two during the final points of the set at 23-21, but Rangel came through with a kill and a service ace to give FIU a 25-21 set win and a 3-0 match victory.

Three Panthers reached double-figures in kills as Rosa led all scorers with 14 kills to go along with 11 digs. Bjelica chipped in with 10 kills and 12 digs for the ninth double-double of her career, while Rangel added 11 kills as FIU hit at a clip of .294 for the match.

A trio of Panthers notched individual hitting percentages of .400 or better as Lakovic notched six kills compared to just one error for a team-best attack percentage of .455. Rosa had 14 kills compared to three errors for an attack percentage of .423 and Rangel hit at a clip of .400 with 11 kills and three errors.

Junior Natalia Valentin led the Panthers in assists with 35 while Araujo recorded a team-high two service aces.

Defensively, Bjelica led FIU with a pair of blocks and her 12 digs were also a team-high for the night, as the Panthers held Louisiana to an attack percentage of .105 for the match.

FIU returns to action next weekend as the Panthers hit the road again to take on a pair of SBC rivals. FIU will square off against Western Kentucky on Friday, Nov. 6 and then go up against Middle Tennessee on Saturday, Nov. 7. Both matches are set to begin at 8 p.m. EST.

-FIU-