The LSU sand volleyball team made its debut in 2014 and despite finishing the season with a 6-10 record, LSU coach Russell Brock said it accomplished everything expected of it in its inaugural campaign.
Brock said he entered the season with tempered expectations, as LSU used its first season largely as a benchmark to determine where they stood in the new sport.
“We always expect to win, but I’m also realistic,” Brock said prior to the start of the season. “This is the first time we’ve been out on the court, and I don’t know exactly how everybody’s going to respond to that.”
The Tigers fared well against other teams in their first year of competition, defeating Oregon in their first tournament and fellow Southeastern Conference newcomer South Carolina twice throughout the course of the season.
They did, however, struggle against more-established programs, going 3-10 against teams that had at least one season under their belts.
“It’s such a balance trying to stoke that competitive fire but also with the understanding that we’re a little bit behind the eight-ball,” Brock said after its first loss to Tulane. “That’s really the key for us … to expect to win, but understand there are going to be times when we’re out-gunned and we just have to fight hard.”
Not surprisingly, LSU’s top pair of senior Meghan Mannari and sophomore Katie Lindelow had the most success this season, advancing to the semifinals of the gold bracket of its first two pairs tournaments, and winning the silver bracket of the Fiesta on the Siesta Key pairs tournament on April 13.
Mannari, who’s return to LSU athletics after finishing her indoor volleyball career in 2012, said she felt honored to just be a part of the landmark program, let alone a senior leader.
“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.”
With the inaugural season now in the rear-view mirror and the foundation set, Brock said he looks forward to building this program into one of LSU’s elite teams.
“This group set a great foundation for our program moving forward,” Brock said in a news release. “It’s exciting to see how far this group came and to know they will come back next year at such a better starting point. Also with the addition of our first recruiting class next year, it’s clear that the future of the program is very bright.”
“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.”