The LSU volleyball team will host its third ranked opponent of the year on Friday at 7:00 p.m. when No. 5 Florida comes to the PMAC.
LSU (14-6, 4-4 Southeastern Conference) is coming off of a victory at Arkansas in which they had a balanced performance from the team. The victory snapped their three-game losing streak and created positive momentum as they head into the match against the Gators (20-2, 9-1 SEC).
Associate head coach Jill Wilson said that the win against Arkansas was key in setting up how the team wants to perform against Florida.
“It’s a great opportunity and one that I think our team is prepared for,” Wilson said. “I think they know they have a great opportunity to just go for it and have a great time while enjoying all the hard work they’ve put in.”
The team has enjoyed increasing success over the course of the season against opponents ranked in the top 15 starting after a sweep at the hands of No. 4 Texas.
The Tigers faced off against No. 11 Missouri last week and lost in four sets despite a strong performance.
“You can tell from when we played Texas to now that we’ve matured to not step back against good teams and we know we can win,” said junior outside hitter Helen Boyle. “We won’t back down because we’re afraid.”
The Gators pose a high- powered attack that centers around their returning SEC Player of the Year, senior middle blocker Chloe Mann.
Wilson said that she is excited to see how the athletic middle blockers at LSU will matchup against the high-octane Gator attack.
“We’re excited with the middles we have currently, really being able to athletically do a great job,” Wilson said. “We’re going to try and get them out of system early so they can’t utilize Chloe as much.”
While acknowledging the high caliber of their opponent, Boyle stressed that the Tigers must focus on their own gameplan in order to be successful in their matchup.
Sophomore defensive specialist Haley Smith said that the most important thing will be for the Tigers to trust each other and their system when playing against Florida.
“I think the biggest step is going to be playing consistently to our level of volleyball,” Smith said. “We’ve done that sporadically throughout the year but I think this is the game we can build consistency for the rest of the year.”