LSU volleyball coach Fran Flory could only watch as her alma mater Texas clinched a national championship last season against Oregon.
Now, the No. 4 Longhorns will stroll into Baton Rouge on Saturday looking to hand the Tigers their second loss in as many games on their own court.
“We had a little break in confidence so we have to play and trust the process and trust our system rather than worrying about wins or losses or successes or
failures,” Flory said. “We have to become a stabilized team. This is what we do and if you try to play above us you have a chance to beat us, but if you play below us we’re going to beat you.”
Flory won a National Championship herself in 1981 while at Texas, where she was also a two-time team captain.
It isn’t often a defending national champion returns almost all of its lineup the next season. But Texas returns 9 of 11 players from the 2012 season that LSU junior outside hitter Helen Boyle called a big and physical team.
Flory said Texas’ high ranking comes as no surprise with return rates like it has this season.
But according to Flory, LSU’s
relatively unknown and young squad could potentially play into the Tigers’ favor on Saturday.
“The great thing about us is no one really knows what we’re all about — no one really knows us,” Flory said. “I think people are beginning to take notice a little bit and say, ‘LSU is a little more legit than we thought they were.’ I think teams are a little more nervous against us.”
A major factor in Saturday’s matchup, according to Flory, is the play of junior setter Malorie Pardo.
Pardo enters Saturday as No. 4 in the Southeastern Conference in assists with 10.92 per set, good for 568 total assists on the season.
“I think that’s the difference between this year and the past few years,” Flory said. “Malorie is now able to manage every hitter we have. She knows what situations they’re successful in, she knows what type of sets to give them — if the pass gives her the right timing and rhythm and tempo, then she can deliver a great ball.”
Flory said she and Pardo met earlier in the week to plan out priorities of how to set the offense this weekend. The coach’s goal is to get the ball in Pardo’s hands so she can make plays and help out with right side production against the Longhorns.
“We’re just focusing on our side,” Pardo said. “We haven’t done much of anything but trying to get back to how we play, trying to keep our tempo, trying to get past that hit and keeping our rhythm. We don’t need to prepare so much for that team as we’re going to focus on our side.”