The Tigers return to the volleyball court for their home opener this Friday against UCLA. With a 20-person roster, LSU has depth in every position and several players battling for a starting spot. We’ll be going over every player under every position on the team.

The last position we covered was the middle blocker. Now, let’s get into the pin hitters:

Samarah Hill | 6-feet-1-inches | Graduate student | No. 1

Entering her fourth year with the Tigers, Hill returns this season with unfinished business. During the 2021 COVID-postponed spring season, Hill remained on the sidelines due to a shoulder injury and redshirted in the fall season after tearing her Achilles.

Despite the injuries, Hill recovered and made her first appearance in a game last season for the first time in two years. With seven starts and 62 total sets played, she hit at a .189 clip averaging 1.92 kills per set.

Hill is a dynamic player who’s a force at the net, but her hitting efficiency needs to improve if she wants a shot at a starting spot. Last season she tallied 119 kills but committed 49 errors. If she can increase her kill production and decrease her errors, Hill could have a season full of career highs for her last go around with the Tigers.
Paige Flickinger | 5-feet-9-inches | Senior | No. 2

Flickinger is a returning player for the Tigers and spent most of last season as a starting six-rotation outside hitter. After battling it out against her teammates, Flickinger earned the spot and contributed 2.65 kills per set and 2.55 digs per set. She put up big numbers for the Tigers but only hit .164, which is the lowest she’s performed in her career.

What sets Flickinger apart from the crowd is her height: standing at 5-foot-9, she jumps out of the gym and plays bigger than she is. If Flickinger can improve her hitting efficiency, she’ll be another steady threat against other teams this season.

Jurnee Robinson | 6-feet-1-inches | Freshman | No. 5

Coming in as one of the most decorated players in the Tigers’ 2023 recruiting class, Robinson is expected to elevate the level of play for LSU this season. A six-rotation pin hitter is the goal of most programs, and Robinson comes in with exceptional talent in her shot selection and court coverage.

Aside from four years on her high school varsity team, Robinson brings experience from one of the top club teams in the nation, A5 Volleyball. She also competed in the 2023 UA All-America game, receiving one of the 26 available spots, and was named the 2023 MaxPreps South Carolina Volleyball Player of the Year.
Tiger fans should expect a different look at the pin from Robinson. As a fiery player full of young talent, she’ll be one to keep an eye on this season.

Sanaa Dotson | 6-feet | Graduate student | No. 9
LSU volleyball star Dotson returns for her third season of college ball with the Tigers, making it her fifth and final year of eligibility. Last season, Dotson held a heavy load of the offensive production for LSU, averaging 3.66 kills per set with a .206 hit percentage. Her performance last season earned her a 2022 AVCA South All-Region Team honor.

The most improved aspect of Dotson’s game throughout her career is her defense. She jumped from under one dig per set to 2.25 digs per set, tallying a career-high of 268 in just one season. With a 2023 Preseason All-SEC honor, Dotson is expected to dominate on the outside pin for the Tigers this season.

AC Froehlich | 6-feet-1-inches | Freshman | No. 13

The 2022 Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year decided to stay home and joins the Tigers this season after bringing leading her high school to a state title. Froehlich played in the Purple and Gold Scrimmage and showed a diverse shot selection with a strong ability of using the block to her advantage.

As a multisport athlete coming out of high school, Froehlich’s speed and agility from basketball translates over to her game on the volleyball court. She adds a different kind of offense to the Tiger squad and will provide depth at the pin.

Ellie Echter | 6-feet-1-inches | Redshirt sophomore | No. 16

Echter redshirted last year and played sparingly for the Tigers in the 2021 season. She’s listed on the roster as a right side/outside hitter but will be used mostly on the right side as she stayed in that position during the Purple and Gold Scrimmage.

Jade Demps | 6-feet-2-inches | Senior | No. 23

Coming from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Demps highlights the 2023 volleyball squad as the team’s star transfer. After spending her first three seasons with the Badgers, Demps joins the Tigers with a .282 average hitting percentage and a well-developed all-around game.

Demps is expected to carry a heavy load of the offense from the opposite pin, but she’ll also be an important part of the defense as a six-rotation player for the Tigers. Last season, either a setter or a defensive specialist played back row for the right-side hitter—Demps staying on the court fulltime as a right-side hitter will be a different look for the Tigers this season.

Three spots, seven pin hitters; who gets the nod?

With a position full of young talent, new players and familiar faces, anyone could start at either pin for the Tigers. It all comes down to who can produce the most kills for LSU in the most efficient manner.

See who gets the job done for the Tigers this Friday at 6:30 p.m. CT when UCLA returns to Baton Rouge for the first time since 1983. The match will be streamed on SEC Network+.