The LSU volleyball team was unable take advantage of opportunities Wednesday night as it fell to Tennessee in yet another five-set match.
The Tigers controlled the momentum for most of the night, holding significant leads in the first four sets.
Junior middle blocker Desiree Elliott led LSU in a dominant 25-15 first set victory with six kills.
But the Volunteers refused to go away, mounting comebacks late in the second and fourth sets, and dominating the fifth on their way to victory.
“It’s very frustrating to lose in five when we could have won the game in three,” said senior outside hitter Madie Jones. “We just aren’t able to finish sometimes in key situations.”
Blocking continued to be a strength for LSU, as the Tigers recorded a season-high 18 stuffs to the Volunteers’ 13. The Tigers were led by Elliott and freshman middle blocker Khourtni Fears, who each had 5.5 blocks in the match.
“After the first match [the blockers] lined up and it was so easy to play behind them,” said senior defensive specialist Meghan Mannari. “…They put us in the right position to make the best plays we could make.”
Mannari looked comfortable at the libero position in her third game back after missing time with a high ankle sprain.
“I thought Meghan played a great match,” said LSU coach Fran Flory. “She did everything we could ask her to do… she gave her heart tonight and was able to execute on the level that we needed somebody to execute on.”
She looked as if she was getting back to full strength, tallying a season-high 29 digs.
After the loss, LSU now has an overall record of 7-11 and a Southeastern Conference record of 3-6, sitting in ninth place in the league.
The Tigers have struggled to find consistency this season, failing to win back-to-back games since they defeated Middle Tennessee and Western Michigan in the Carolina Classic on Sept. 8.
Despite the loss, Flory was proud of her team and said they had fun, something she says is vital to their success.
“This team has to have fun, there’s no question about it,” Flory said. “Late in sets we tried to win and the tensity went up instead of the intensity. When that happens, it’s awfully hard to make big plays.”
The Tigers will look to bounce back Sunday when they take on Alabama in the PMAC.
The last time the Tigers faced the Crimson Tide, Alabama dominated the Tigers in three sets.
“We want a rematch. We want revenge against them,” Mannari said. “It’s tough to lose a five-setter on Wednesday night, but we just have to regroup and come back on Sunday.”
