The No. 20 LSU volleyball team is currently riding an eight-match winning streak, its longest since a 13-match streak in 2006. LSU (15-4, 9-1) will travel to Lexington, Ky., to square off against No. 7 Kentucky (19-2, 9-1) Saturday night. On Sept. 20, the Wildcats handed LSU its last loss and only defeat so far in Southeastern Conference play. But the Tigers are trying to do more than just extend their winning streak this weekend. They are out to avenge the three-set loss Kentucky handed them in the PMAC and also snap a three-match losing streak to the Wildcats. “We’re really excited to play them again,” said senior middle blocker Brittnee Cooper. “We’re seeking revenge, and if we have the same confidence level that we’ve had the past couple weekends, we’ll do a good job.”LSU coach Fran Flory said she feels the Tigers are out not as much for revenge but to redeem themselves from a lackluster first performance against Kentucky.”I think they feel like they didn’t perform at a very high level when we played Kentucky here,” Flory said. “It was honestly, probably our most disappointing match of the year.”While the Tigers are out looking for some redemption, Kentucky is looking to get back on the winning track. The Wildcats lost a four-set match at home to Tennessee on Wednesday night.”It’s about executing, and we did not do that last night,” Kentucky coach Craig Skinner said. “I thought Tennessee did that better than us, which was the difference in the match.”Flory said LSU will have its hands full with the Wildcats’ size and speed.”They truly have no weaknesses,” Flory said. “They’re long; they’re athletic; they outreach your blocking and your hitting. You have to be very good at lining up on their hitters in establishing the first line of defense.”The Tigers will also try to slow down Kentucky senior libero BriAnne Sauer. Sauer had a career high 35 digs Wednesday. LSU will travel to Knoxville, Tenn., to face Tennessee on Monday. The Tigers defeated the Volunteers in five sets Sept. 18 in the PMAC. But Tennessee has won nine of its past 10 matches since the loss to LSU, including Wednesday’s victory at Kentucky.”Tennessee is very good,” Flory said. “And I’m not sure that Tennessee is getting the credit they deserve.”LSU sophomore libero Lauren Waclawczyk said Tennessee is a scrappy team, and LSU has to be ready for a tough match.”They’re a bunch of fighters. I think that’s what they’re known for,” Waclawczyk said. “So hopefully we’ll come out at the beginning and not give them any hope.”The Tigers fell to the Volunteers in three sets in last season’s match in Knoxville.Though the Tigers have been playing exceptionally well lately, the team is still looking to fine tune some aspects of its game.”We have to get better blocking and play at a faster pace than we did this past weekend,” Flory said. “Kentucky and Tennessee play a little faster system than Arkansas and Ole Miss did.”Even with revenge on their minds, the Tigers know this match is simply one out of 20 that make up the SEC slate.”We’re all pumped, but it is just one match,” Waclawczyk said. “It’s not the national championship. It is just another SEC match, another win we are going to have to get under our belts to get our SEC championship.”—Contact Rob Landry at [email protected]