LSU’s volleyball team’s chances to make the NCAA tournament this season are running out.”We have six more matches left in [Southeastern Conference] play, and we need to win out to make it into the NCAA tournament,” said junior setter Sam Dabbs. “We are fighting for our lives, but we’re going to have fun doing it.”LSU (12-9, 7-7) begins its stretch run toward the postseason tonight against Alabama (12-10, 5-8) at 7 p.m. in the PMAC. LSU then hosts Mississippi State on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.The Tigers lead Ole Miss by a half match in the SEC Western Division. The SEC does not have a postseason tournament.”Everybody in the SEC is fighting for the chance to either get into the NCAA tournament, get a seed in the NCAA tournament or have a chance to win a divisional title,” said LSU coach Fran Flory. “The good part for us is it’s within our control.”The Tigers host three straight home matches before traveling to Arkansas on Nov. 21.”The PMAC is somewhere where we’re comfortable,” said senior libero Elena Martinez. “It’s always great to be at home. We’re actually going to be in our environment and in our normal gym, and that’ll really help with getting some wins for the rest of the season.”LSU has played six of its last eight conference games on the road.”We’re the ones that get the nice home court advantage at the end of the SEC season, and we knew that going in,” Flory said. “We still do have a tough road trip to Arkansas and Ole Miss, but being at home is a huge advantage for us.”LSU faced a tough road test last weekend, playing at Kentucky and Tennessee.Kentucky is tied with Florida for the best conference record at 13-1. Tennessee is third in the eastern division with a 10-4 conference record.The Tigers lost to the Wildcats, 3-1, and Volunteers, 3-1.”Everybody knows what they did wrong this weekend,” Martinez said.Dabbs said the Tigers would’ve won both matches if they had been better prepared mentally.”Some of us realize that these were key matches to get into the NCAA tournament,” Dabbs said. “The pressure kind of got some of us.”Flory said LSU “didn’t have it” Sunday against Tennessee.”We’re tired, but we shouldn’t be,” Flory said. “Everybody else is tired as well.”Flory said she emphasized offensive balance this week in practice, which she said was absent in the Tennessee match.”We’re trying to be a little more consistent and speed up our sets to the pins,” Flory said. “That’ll fit our hitters a little better, and if we control the ball well enough that should help.”—-Contact Robert Stewart at [email protected]