LSU’s volleyball team is still changing its lineup to make up for the loss of junior middle blocker Lauren DeGirolamo.Sophomore middle blocker Tania Schatow started for DeGirolamo against Georgia on Wednesday. Freshman Michele Williams started at outside hitter for Schatow.The end result Wednesday wasn’t so successful.The Bulldogs swept the Tigers, 3-0, in a match in which the Tigers committed 10 service errors.”We’re not comfortable with what we’re doing yet,” LSU coach Fran Flory said of the new lineup.The sweep marks the ninth straight sweep in the series between the Tigers and Bulldogs.LSU swept Georgia in both meetings last season.LSU now has four conference losses this season. They only had five all of last season.”Everybody says ‘You learn more when you lose than you do when you win,'” Flory said. “I’m tired of trying to learn.”LSU lost the first set, 25-17, and held only two leads in the first set at 1-0 and 2-1.Four of the Tigers’ serving errors came in the first set.The second set was much closer, with 13 ties and 14 lead changes.The biggest lead by either team in the second set was three points.Three of those ties came in the final eight points, including a 23-all tie. Georgia won the next two points to take the set.The Tigers got off to a terrible start in the third set, falling behind, 6-0, before Flory took a timeout.LSU’s closest deficit afterward was three, at 6-3 and 7-4.LSU hit an abysmal .193 hitting percentage compared to Georgia’s .370 clip.”We just did a really poor job of taking care of the ball,” Flory said. “I think we tried to create too much rather than just aggressively attacking.”LSU outblocked Georgia, 7-6, but five of their blocks came in the second set and none were in the third set.Perhaps the Tigers’ lone bright spots were senior libero Elena Martinez, who had 19 digs, and junior middle blocker Britnee Cooper with six blocks.LSU returns home to practice Friday and Saturday, then travels to play Auburn on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
Volleyball: Bulldogs sweep Tigers
By Robert Stewart
Sports Writer
Sports Writer
October 8, 2008