With less than 24 hours until first serve, LSU volleyball is ready to take the court for its home opener against the UCLA Bruins. The Tigers have a new look to them this season, bringing a 20-person roster of nine newcomers and 11 returners to the floor.

After covering the setters, middle blockers and pin hitters, we have one position left to dive into. Let’s talk about the liberos and defensive specialists:

Madison Martin | 5-feet-9-inches | Junior | No. 6

Martin has seen limited time on the court for the Tigers. In her debut season, she saw action in 31 sets across 12 matches. Last season, she took the floor in five matches, playing in 15 sets.

Bri Anderson | 5-feet-9-inches | Sophomore | No. 7

While Anderson didn’t play much for the Tigers last season, she has spent the preseason competing for the libero jersey. Coming out of high school as the No. 65 overall recruit in the class of 2021, Anderson is a gritty player who knows what it feels like to win. She helped lead her club team to three USAV national titles in 2015, 2017 and 2018, and one AAU national title in 2017.

Anderson is a steady, calm presence for the defense, and she stays grounded before making contact with the ball. Despite coming into the program as a defensive specialist or outside hitter, Anderson’s sophomore season with the Tigers will focus primarily on her defensive role.

Ella Hemmings | 5-feet-6-inches | Freshman | No. 8

Freshman Hemmings finished off her four-year varsity libero job in high school with a total of 1,943 career digs. She adds depth to the defensive specialist role for the Tigers.

Erin Carmichael | 5-feet-7-inches | Graduate student | No. 10

Transferring from Jacksonville State University, Carmichael joins the Tigers for her fifth and final year of eligibility. Carmichael finished off her career as a Gamecock with 1,472 digs and brings championship experience to the team with two Ohio Valley Conference championships.

From the second she stepped foot on Jacksonville State campus, Carmichael anchored the defense and held the libero jersey all four years. She also brings a tough serve to LSU, registering a career-best 38 aces last season. Carmichael is a great get from the transfer portal that is expected to contribute heavily to the Tiger defense this season.

Bri Zamora | 5-feet-4-inches | Sophomore | No. 15

Zamora appeared in 47 sets across 15 matches in her debut season last year, mainly subbing in as a serving specialist.

Who gets the different colored jersey?

With five potential liberos, head coach Tonya Johnson has some big shoes to fill after the departure of Ella Larkin, last season’s SEC leader in digs and digs per set. After an ongoing battle in the gym, the lineup will be revealed once the Tigers open the season against UCLA tonight at 6:30 p.m. CT. The match will be called by Lyn Rollins and former LSU volleyball head coach Fran Flory on SEC Network+.