LSU junior outside hitter Kyna Washington is hitting her stride at a time when the No. 24 LSU volleyball team needs her the most. The Houston native torched opponents this past weekend with 63 kills in three matches, including a career-high 28 kill performance against the University of Iowa Hawkeyes. Despite Washington’s efforts, the Tigers (8-1) concluded their pre-conference tournament schedule this past weekend with a 2-1 record in the Iowa Challenge Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa. LSU entered the tournament 6-0 but suffered its first loss of the season Friday night against Iowa State, 3-1. The Tigers rebounded Saturday by sweeping Drake University 3-0 and defeating Iowa in a five-game match. Washington was named to the Iowa Challenge All-Tournament team Saturday, and the accolades kept coming Monday when the Southeastern Conference named her as its Player of the Week. LSU coach Fran Flory said Washington’s play has been exceptional, and she will not be surprised if it gets better as the season progresses. “She’s been more efficient, [and] she’s played more maturely and has become a much more balanced player,” Flory said. “We give her the ball in many situations. As our ball control improves, she’ll get the ball in even better situations.” Washington leads the team in kills with 138, and she is also third in digs with 65. “It’s fun playing with someone like that,” said junior libero Elena Martinez. “She brings the fire and the energy. She may not always be the person talking or screaming but you just feed off of her. When she’s on, she’s on. Our team just groups around her.” Washington, one of four upperclassmen on the team, is one of three returning starters to this past season’s SEC Western Division title team. This season, LSU’s roster features eight underclassmen. Flory said the team is still growing and learning to play with one another, but she was satisfied overall with their resiliency in the Iowa Challenge Tournament. “I was really proud of how we bounced back,” she said. “Our leaders came up with big plays when we needed them, but I was very disappointed in our intensity level and how we played all weekend.” Mistakes proved to be costly in LSU’s tournament-opening loss Friday night. The Tigers outkilled and outdigged Iowa State but committed 19 more errors than their opponent. “I think the loss of Friday night showed us all the things we need to work on for the season to get ready for the SEC,” sophomore middle blocker Britnee Cooper said. LSU’s SEC slate begins this week with two road games against tough competition. The Tigers face Ole Miss on Wednesday then travel to Arkansas for a Sunday night contest. Both of LSU’s opponents this week have been receiving votes in the CSTV/AVCA Coaches Poll. The Tigers fell to No. 24 in this week and are in danger of dropping out of the poll for the first time since early September 2006. The Tigers went 1-1 against the Rebels this past season, sweeping Ole Miss in the PMAC and losing a five-game match late in the season in Oxford, Miss. “Ole Miss is a challenge for us on the road every year,” Flory said. “It’s one of the most difficult places to play. They’ll be ready for us.” Ole Miss coach Joe Getzin said the young Tigers’ eagerness to begin conference play will make them a dangerous opponent Wednesday night. “[LSU] is not the team I want to open up conference play with,” he said. “That’s for sure.” At Monday’s practice, Flory prepared her team for defending Ole Miss senior outside hitter Katie Kramer, who is No. 8 in the SEC in kills per game. Some Tigers know firsthand the damage Kramer can do. Martinez played with Kramer at Isidore Newman High School in New Orleans. “She’s gotten a lot better through the years,” Martinez said. “She swings hard and find seams. We’re just going to have to key in on her, but I think we’re ready.”
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