LSU volleyball coach Fran Flory said Wednesday’s match against Ole Miss could have been a “make or break” point of the season.
“I don’t know that it made us, but I was very concerned that it could have broken us,” Flory said after the Tigers’ 3-1 win against the Rebels (17-5, 7-4).
The crucial nature of the match stemmed from the No. 25 Tigers’ two weekend losses on the road against Tennessee and Kentucky. Flory said LSU Athletic Director Skip Bertman even stopped by the Tigers’ pregame practice to provide motivational words.
With Wednesday’s victory, LSU (16-4, 8-3) now leads the Southeastern Conference Western Division.
Flory said she was pleased with the aggressive nature of the match.
“Our system is very difficult to defend,” Flory said. “When we’re not swinging aggressively, we give away that advantage.”
Junior outside hitter Kyna Washington led the Tigers with 19 kills but had just a .169 hitting percentage. Sophomore middle blocker Brittnee Cooper had 12 kills and tied her career-high with 11 blocks.
Senior outside hitter Katie Kramer, a New Orleans native, led the Rebels with 14 kills but 13 attack errors.
Elena Martinez, junior libero, said a key point in Tuesday’s practice was the emphasis on going after every ball and focusing on each individual play.
“We handled the ball really well,” Martinez said. “We were relaxed and calm in situations, and we didn’t panic or anything.”
LSU takes on Arkansas (10-10, 4-6) on Friday in the PMAC. Flory said she knows the Razorbacks will be a challenge as Arkansas recently defeated previously-unbeaten No. 10 Florida.
—Contact Amy Brittain at [email protected]