The CBS College Sports Network/AVCA Division I Coaches’ Poll came out Tuesday afternoon, and the LSU volleyball team was ranked No. 21 in the preseason rankings.
LSU coach Fran Flory said earlier in the day that she expected her team to be “ranked pretty high.”
Flory said she welcomes back a “veteran” team that has won the past three Southeastern Conference Western Division crowns.
The team started practice Aug. 9 and opens the season Aug. 29 against Texas A&M at the Creighton Tournament in Creighton, Neb.
Flory said the team has focused on serving and passing this past week and “[hasn’t] put in an offense yet.”
“We played the purple and gold scrimmage last night, and our kids were pretty disappointed in our offensive output,” Flory said. “But when you haven’t really worked on it in six months or four months, it’s pretty tough to be good.”
The team must also adjust to several major NCAA rules changes this season.
Games are now called “sets,” and each set will be played to 25 points — compared to the 30-point games of the past.
Flory said the rule changes are “a little crazy,” but doesn’t expect the changes
“We’re doing the same thing as the other team,” Flory said.
The team welcomes three newcomers in freshmen Michele Williams and Lauren Waclawczyk and junior transfer Samantha Dabbs from Louisville.
Dabbs led Louisville in assists in both of her seasons. She played on the USA Volleyball A2 junior national team in 2007.
Flory said Waclawczyk, a defensive specialist, is the “heir apparent” to Martinez at libero.
“She’s probably not going to beat [Martinez] out for the starting libero spot this fall,” Flory said. “But she certainly has added a great deal of pressure and made [Martinez] better every day.”
Flory also said she moved sophomore Tania Schatow from middle blocker to the right side of the net.
Schatow replaced senior Lauren DeGiorlamo in LSU’s first-round NCAA tournament game against New Mexico State in 2007.
Two of LSU’s players, Elena Martinez and Brittnee Cooper, were members of the Women’s National A2 Red Team this summer that won the Open Division of the USA Adult Open Volleyball Championship.
Martinez was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2007.
—-Contact Robert Stewart at [email protected]