The regular season schedule still has seven matches remaining, but the No. 19 LSU volleyball team is treating each match like it could be its last.”We’re pretending like we’re already in the first and second round [of the NCAA tournament],” said freshman libero Sam Delahoussaye. “We’re doing this to help us get prepared.”LSU coach Fran Flory has taken preparation for the postseason matches a step farther. Flory gave each team member a laminated card with the NCAA tournament logo and an inscription that reads, “First and Second Round participant,” following the team’s practice on Wednesday.”The staff thought this would be a good way to keep the team focused through the end of the season,” Flory said. “Also, this will help them practice to play in the NCAA tournament because there are so many factors that come into play.”But the postseason mentality is not just for matches. Flory has implemented a practice regiment that mimics what the Tigers will do once the NCAA tournament begins roughly one month after LSU (18-5, 12-2) takes on Ole Miss (8-16, 2-12) and Arkansas (11-14, 5-9) this weekend.”We’re practicing like it’s the practice leading up to [the postseason match],” Flory said. “Friday night is the first round against Ole Miss, and the second round will be Sunday against Arkansas.”Even though the team is preparing as if it’s the postseason, the Tigers realize there are still regular season goals left to accomplish. One of those goals, winning the Southeastern Conference Western Division championship, can be reached with one more SEC victory.”The first goal we can reach is winning the West,” Flory said. “You have to win the West before you can have a chance to win the overall conference championship.”LSU will face an Ole Miss squad Friday night that has been reeling as of late.The Rebels have not won a match since a 3-0 victory against Arkansas on Oct. 14.The Tigers have also won five consecutive matches against the Rebels, including a 3-0 win in the PMAC earlier this season. But Flory said Ole Miss is a better team than its record indicates.”We have a lot of respect for Ole Miss,” Flory said. “They’ve struggled recently, but they’ve had just a rash of injuries throughout the season. From what I hear, though, their team will be back in tact for this weekend.”This weekend, the Rebels will see the return of sophomore outside hitter Katie Norris. Norris has been out for the past two weeks with an ankle injury.Sunday afternoon, LSU will travel to Fayetteville, Ark., to take on Arkansas.The Razorbacks are another struggling team and have lost five of their last six matches, but they are not playing as if their season is lost.”[Arkansas] feels like if they win out they have a chance to be in the NCAA tournament,” Flory said. “Those kinds of teams can be dangerous.”Following last weekend’s performances against Auburn and Georgia, LSU senior middle blocker Brittnee Cooper was named the Collegiate Volleyball Update National Player of the Week.Cooper has recorded 287 kills this season. Her hitting percentage is .384, and she averages 1.39 blocks per set, which ranks No. 14 nationally.”I was very surprised to hear I won the award,” Cooper said. “My teammates helped me out a lot. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have won that honor.”- – – -Contact Rob Landry at [email protected]