The LSU sand volleyball team will get its first chance to show fans what the new program is all about when it hosts its first ever organized competition, the Purple vs. Gold scrimmage, at 2:30 p.m. today at Mango’s Beach Volleyball Club.
From analyzing pairs and matchups to adjusting to the gameday atmosphere, LSU coach Russell Brock said he hopes the event will act as a learning experience on virtually every level.
“Wednesday will really be the competition for us to see if we need to make some adjustments,” Brock said. “We’ll have a lot more information to continue to develop and see the teams and organize the pairs. It will be a big step in the process for sure.”
Brock said the scrimmage will feature the Tigers competing against each other in single-game matches as they experiment with different pairs.
LSU indoor volleyball coach Fran Flory said the Tigers’ primary goal will be to find which players display the best chemistry and compatibility on the sand.
“We’re going to move partners around,” Flory said. “Sand is a little different. You have to find people who play together well. … That’s the key, that we start establishing and seeing how people respond in competition.”
The Tigers will also get their first look at the gameday setup and home advantage Mango’s will offer throughout the season.
“We’ve never hosted a real match, so even just the sound and where the banners are going … is going to be a part of that equation as well,” Brock said. “It will be good to be playing as all that hubbub is going on around us.”
LSU’s roster saw a significant boost in size Friday as most members of the indoor volleyball team joined the original four squad members, increasing the number of athletes to 15.
While this merger came less than two weeks before LSU’s first match, both Brock and Flory said the merge has been relatively painless and they were happy about progress shown by the athletes new to the outdoor version of the sport.
“The improvement that we see in our indoor players after two practices basically is amazing,” Flory said. “These kids are going to get better fast. We’re probably not going to start very high. We’re going to start as a very average team. … By the end of it, I think this is going to be a very good team.”
Flory and Brock agreed LSU and its staff have a lot of work to do before the Tigers’ first regular season competition at 4:30 p.m. on March 18 at Mango’s.
Today’s exhibition will undoubtedly prove to be the first of many learning experiences for LSU’s newest program in what the Tigers hope to be the beginning of an era.
“This is new territory for everyone,” Flory said. “Our event staff, our administration, everybody is trying to learn how to do this. We’ll make some mistakes, but I think they’re going to set a higher standard for what we expect.”
“We’ll make some mistakes, but I think they’re going to set a higher standard for what we expect.”