LSU’s volleyball team got its first Southeastern Conference sweep Friday night, defeating Ole Miss, 3-0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-18), in front of a crowd of 1,249 in the PMAC. But the victory may have come at a cost. LSU junior middle blocker Lauren DeGirolamo went down due to an apparent right knee injury during the second set after colliding with one of the polls holding up the net. LSU coach Fran Flory said DeGirolamo will have an MRI taken tomorrow morning. The first half of set one was close. The Tigers then exploded on an 18-9 run with the score tied at 6-6 to take the set, 25-15. The first set victory was the first for the Tigers since Sept. 6 against McNeese St. “That was [the team’s] goal in the locker room,” Flory said. “They talked about it before the match – win set one. They were determined to make that turn today, and take that step. It was a monkey on our back that we were having trouble with getting from under us. They came out with an air of confidence that we have not had in a long time.” The second set was nearly the same as the first, with the Tigers going on an 18-11 run with the score tied 6-6 to take the set, 25-17. The third set was close, but with the score tied at 16, the Tigers went on a 9-2 run to sweep the Rebels. The Tigers out-blocked the Rebels, 16-9. The 16 blocks was a season-high for the Tigers. “They did a great job of hitting zones serving,” Flory said. “[Assistant coach] Jill [Wilson] had a great serving game planned. It created a tough matchup in terms of our block versus their offense. When you serve well, your blocking game usually elevates as well.” The Tigers also out-dug the Rebels, 54-36. The team improved to 5-1 when out-digging their opponent. In the match, junior outside hitter Brittnee Cooper marked her 500th career kill when she scored the first point of the match for the Tigers. The Tigers return to action against Arkansas on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. in the PMAC. The match will be televised live on Cox Sports Television. —- Contact Andy Schwehm at [email protected]