Defeating the same team twice in a season is one of the most difficult things to do in sports, according to an old cliche.The LSU volleyball team (4-2) faces that task this weekend as they play Tulane for the second time in six days. The Tigers took down the Green Wave in straight sets last Saturday during the Tiger Classic at the PMAC. But this weekend the Tigers face Tulane in Fogleman Arena in New Orleans as part of the Allstate Sugar Bowl Classic. “After you beat a team, you know that they want to come out and beat you,” said LSU senior middle blocker Lauren DeGirolamo. “So we know that we’re going to have to step up our game this weekend.”The Tigers will also play against Long Beach State and the University of New Orleans this weekend. Though none of LSU’s matches this weekend are as high profile as in the last two tournaments, when the Tigers took on No. 5 Stanford and No. 6 Nebraska, both Tulane and Long Beach State received votes in last week’s American Volleyball Coaches Association top 25 poll. “Long Beach is a physical team,” said LSU coach Fran Flory. “They’re always fast and very well trained. They are a team that has played well thus far, and they are always a big challenge.”This weekend will also mark a homecoming for Long Beach State senior middle blocker Naomi Washington. Washington, an honorable mention All-American in 2008, is from New Orleans and graduated from Warren Easton High School.”[Washington] is a great player,” Flory said. “Her getting to play in her hometown her senior year is important.”DeGirolamo said getting a better performance from the defense, better attacks and improvement on the service game are necessary for the team to have success this weekend and the remainder of the season.”We need to be a better defensive team,” DeGirolamo said. “We need to make sure we get better touches from our setters to set up our hitters. Our hitters have to get more kills per game. And finally we have to put more pressure on the other team with our serve.”Following the Tiger Classic last weekend, LSU senior middle blocker Brittnee Cooper was named Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Week for the second consecutive week. Cooper is the first player to win the award on consecutive weeks since it was split into offensive and defensive categories in 2004.”We’re thrilled that Brittnee won this award and proud of the recognition she is getting after working so hard during the offseason,” Flory said after Cooper received the recognition. “She is truly beginning to understand how to defend other teams’ offenses and beginning to understand how to be good technically on both sides of the net.”Despite the fact the season is only six games old, and the Tigers have lost two five-set matches to top-10 opponents, freshman outside hitter Madie Jones said the team’s confidence level is very high.”Overall we have a good attitude,” Jones said. “I guess you could say we have a good swagger.”
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Volleyball: LSU faces Tulane again in N.O.
September 9, 2009