The LSU volleyball team returns home to take on Ole Miss on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. in the PMAC. The match is the second for the Tigers in a stretch that sees them play three matches in five days.
LSU (11-3, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) is coming off a victorious trip to College Station, Texas, on Wednesday in which it overcame a two-set deficit before eventually beating Texas A&M in five sets for the Tigers’ first SEC victory.
The Tigers are looking to improve their conference record against the Rebel Black Bears (10-7, 0-4 SEC) who have yet to win an SEC match.
Despite its penchant for thrilling comebacks, LSU is focused on getting off to better starts and not falling behind in the early sets, said senior middle blocker Desiree Elliott.
“I think we were just worried about [the opponent’s side] and not what we were doing,” Elliott said. “Once we figured that out, we really put it together.”
With a win against Ole Miss, the Tigers would win consecutive matches for the first time since the Flo Hyman Collegiate Cup in September.
Head coach Fran Flory pointed to a newfound energy on offense as an explanation for the recent resurgence in play.
“We finally found it and we created,” Flory said. “We hit really good shots and that was something that was needed.”
Flory credited junior setter Malorie Pardo as being an essential component of the Tiger offense as her 46 assists and 10 digs against the Aggies will attest.
Pardo is taking a streak of seven consecutive matches with a double-double into the matchup against Ole Miss.
Pardo said the Tigers are eager to start another winning streak after dropping back-to-back matches for the first time this season, and history shows the Tigers are in good position to do just that.
LSU has enjoyed a successful run against Ole Miss in the Flory era as the team has won 22 of 29 matchups against the Rebel Black Bears.