After losing two of three matches at last weekend’s Seminole Invitational, the LSU volleyball team travels to San Antonio for the University of Texas at San Antonio Classic, its last tournament before conference play.
LSU will face Baylor at noon Friday and host team UTSA at 6 p.m. that same day before a rematch with Baylor at noon Saturday.
Originally, the Tigers were scheduled to face Middle Tennessee State instead of Baylor a second time, but the Blue Raiders dropped out of the tournament late this summer.
Junior defensive specialist Haley Smith said playing a team twice in the same weekend will give the Tigers a great chance to shift gameplans and make adjustments like the team would in conference play.
“Obviously, it’s always good when you get to play a team twice,” Smith said. “You can gameplan the first time and then if something doesn’t go your way or does go your way, then you have another opportunity to play that team and either execute your game plan or to make changes.”
The Tigers defeated UTSA in four sets in last season’s Tiger Classic.
LSU coach Fran Flory said even though UTSA enters this weekend on a five-game losing streak, the Roadrunners have shown they can play with SEC teams.
“UTSA has a win against Texas A&M in our league, so they are playing well,” Flory said. “They have one of their best players from last year back in their lineup this weekend. I think they had some growing pains trying to incorporate her.”
LSU also squared off with Baylor last season in a matchup the Tigers won in five sets. Flory said she expects a similar match again this time around.
“[Baylor is] very similar in terms of personnel they’re putting on the court,” Flory said. “They’ve had some kids really improve. Some of the personnel that was on the court against us last year are on the bench for them. …They’re a much improved team.”
Though Baylor has improved, Flory said the Tigers are deeper this year and their younger players are ready to compete.
“Our youth has arrived,” Flory said. “[Freshmen] Gina Tillis and Mimi Eugene make such a difference for us to have that depth at the outside position. …[Last year] we got in a dogfight at Houston with Baylor and went five [sets]. We didn’t have many subs. We didn’t have much depth and we had to fight through and really grit it. I think this year we’ll have some versatility.”
Tillis said LSU has been working hard on its mentality and confidence, which is something other teams’ coaches have noticed is the missing piece to the Tigers’ success.
“The Florida State coaching staff said to me after the match, ‘Fran, your team is a whole lot better than they think they are,’” Flory said. “When we start believing that we are good and we are capable and we can win those matches … then that will start happening.”