On Nov. 21, 2012, LSU senior libero Meghan Mannari suited up in purple and gold for her final time as a member of the LSU volleyball team.
That day, Mannari collected a team-high 23 digs to extend her career total to 1,208, putting her at No. 9 on LSU’s all-time list. But LSU fell to Arkansas in four sets, and Mannari’s career was over.
Or so she thought.
“I had no idea I would ever play for LSU again,” Mannari said.
Fast forward 17 months, and Mannari has become a senior leader on the inaugural LSU sand volleyball team and one half of the Tigers’ top-seeded pair.
The introduction of women’s sand volleyball as an official sport at LSU has allowed her to contribute one last time before hanging up the jersey.
Though Mannari had used all four years of her eligibility, NCAA rules allow athletes one additional year of eligibility for student-athletes to play a different sport.
Mannari said she always wanted to pursue sand volleyball after practicing outdoors with the volleyball team during the offseason, but she decided to continue her education and apply for graduate school instead.
When LSU coach Fran Flory and the athletics administration approached her with the possibility of playing for the Tigers’ inaugural sand volleyball team, she couldn’t help but get excited.
Mannari immediately fell into a leadership role on the team, and according to her teammates, she has excelled there.
“We’re glad to have her back,” said Katie Lindelow, Mannari’s sand volleyball partner. “She’s definitely got a lot of experience in that leadership role. … She’s doing a great job of handling running practices, making sure we’re all organized and keeping us all accountable.”
As LSU’s No. 1 pair, Mannari and Lindelow have gone 8-5 against the top-seeded pairs of opposing programs in dual play and advanced to the semifinals in the first two pairs tournaments they participated in. They then went 4-2 to win the silver bracket of the Fiesta on the Siesta Key pairs tournament on April 13.
The pair hope their success this season will be enough to earn a spot in the AVCA Pairs National Championship tournament.
LSU coach Russell Brock said Mannari displays a sense of experience and maturity usually only shown by players who have been playing for years.
“She’s that steady force that really doesn’t get rattled,” Brock said. “She’ll get frustrated, but she doesn’t let it impact her game.”
Lindelow said the patience and composure Mannari keeps on the court help her stay calm when things go south, as well.
“We’re both extremely competitive, and I’m a little more vocal with it,” Lindelow said. “I get more frustrated, and looking at her and seeing how calm she is calms me down. We both get excited. We both want to win so badly. So we balance well, I think.”
In turn, Mannari credited Lindelow’s competitive and fiery attitude with keeping her driven and motivated throughout their contests.
The relationship between Mannari and Lindelow continued to flourish as the season progressed, leading to better chemistry and communication on the court.
“I think we’ve become closer,” Mannari said. “We room with our partners when we’re on away trips. For you and your partner to work, you can’t just know them out on the court. You have to understand them outside of volleyball. I think we have grown closer as friends like that, too.”
Mannari once again suited up for senior day when LSU hosted its first tournament on Saturday, when she and Lindelow split matches with UAB and Tulane’s top pairs.
While her return to the team was short-lived, she could not be more grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the landmark program.
“I’m so thankful that they gave us this opportunity, and it’s so cool to be a part of the first program that LSU sand volleyball has ever had,” Mannari said. “It really is an honor.”
“She’s that steady force that really doesn’t get rattled. She’ll get frustrated, but she doesn’t let it impact her game.”