The LSU volleyball team further secured a spot in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday when it rolled through Auburn in straight sets, 25-16, 25-22, 25-20 in its final home contest of the season.
LSU (18-8, 13-4 Southeastern Conference) overpowered Auburn (12-17, 4-12 SEC) from the first serve to the last in the contest, holding Auburn to a .097 hitting clip.
“Our defense and passing did a really good job of setting the tempo,” said junior outside hitter Cati Leak. “It was a full team effort, and it gave the hitters and me a really good opportunity to see what was going on and pick our shots.”
LSU got off to a strong start, never trailing in its 25-16 first-set victory.
The defense dominated early, holding Auburn to a .000 hitting percentage in the set, and junior outside hitter Emily Ehrle earned back-to-back blocks to give LSU a 7-3 lead.
“Our blocking set the tone,” said LSU coach Fran Flory. “Emily [Ehrle] started it with the first couple points of the match stepping in front of people blocking. That was the key to the match. That jumpstarted us, and she allowed us to continue through.”
Auburn did not go down as easily in the second set, as it trailed 20-19 late with a chance to tie the match.
But LSU took advantage of a couple Auburn errors and finished the set strong to take a 2-0 lead before coming out of the break and finishing the match with a convincing 25-20 third-set win to complete the sweep.
Leak led LSU on offense with a match-high 13 kills with just two errors for a .344 hitting percentage. She also accrued 12 digs and two blocks.
“Leak has matured,” Flory said. “We have to have Cati on the court to be successful. She’s just kind of the glue.”
Flory said Leak’s confidence has improved dramatically since she arrived at LSU, leading to improvements in all aspects of her game.
“She now believes she belongs,” Flory said. “She feels like she’s one of the better players in the league. She’s never going to say that, but inside, she’s starting to show that.”
LSU celebrated senior night Friday during its contest with Missouri, but Sunday’s matchup with Auburn marked the last time seniors would play on the court in the PMAC.
Senior setter Malorie Pardo said the moment was bittersweet, but she’s not allowing it to distract her from LSU’s final contest Saturday against South Carolina.
“It’s kind of sad,” Pardo said. “I’m an emotional person, so I’m trying to keep it all in because I know we’re not done. That’s the great part about this year. It’s not over yet.” 
You can reach Tyler Nunez on Twitter @Nunez_TDR.