At this time last season, LSU volleyball coach Fran Flory and her Tigers were trapped outside Louisiana with no idea when they would return home because of Hurricane Gustav.The hurricane, which kept the Tigers on the road for 11 straight days, caused the cancellation of the Tiger Classic — a home tournament that would have been the team’s first home matches of the 2008 season.But this season is a different story, and the Tigers (2-1) won’t have to wait until Sept. 26 for their first home match. They will get it tonight in the PMAC for the same Tiger Classic that was canceled last season.”I’m really excited to be home,” said LSU sophomore libero Lauren Waclawczyk. “You just get a bigger adrenaline rush when you have your band and your fight song playing.”One similarity to last season exists as the Tigers will face another brute force of nature in No. 6 Nebraska, a national volleyball powerhouse and a Final Four team from last season that swept the Tigers early last season.No. 7 Michigan swept the Cornhuskers (2-1) to open the season last Friday, but Nebraska bounced back with a five-set victory against No. 13 Minnesota on Saturday.Even with Nebraska out to avenge its loss last weekend, LSU won’t be intimidated, as they have already taken No. 11 Stanford to five sets this season and swept No. 27 Notre Dame.”Our confidence is so high right now,” Waclawczyk said. “We beat Notre Dame in three, and someone made the comment that it’s open this year — nobody has the championship. Everyone has beaten everyone, and rankings don’t mean anything right now. It’s going to be an exciting ride, and we believe we could be the one.”Nebraska will again prove to be a challenge with three preseason All-Big 12 Team members — junior setter Sydney Anderson, senior middle blocker Kori Cooper and junior outside hitter Tara Mueller.Cooper was an honorable-mention AVCA All-American with 2.09 kills and 0.88 blocks per set last season while ranking No. 10 nationally with a .396 hitting percentage. Mueller was second-team AVCA All-American, averaging 3.51 kills and 2.37 digs per set last season.”Nebraska is a very solid team,” Flory said. “They play high above the net, and they try to beat you with being more physical and hitting the ball harder … But the good thing this year is that we feel that we can match them in some positions.”To deal with the Nebraska trio, the Tigers will rely on the play of a duo of middle blockers with sophomore Michele Williams and senior Brittnee Cooper, both of whom had outstanding weekends in South Bend, Ind.Cooper hit .222 with 2.85 kills per set and blocked 20 shots, and Williams blocked 19 shots, hitting .338 and, like Cooper, getting 2.85 kills per set.”Our middles are our key, and there is no secret to that,” Flory said. “They are physical and fast, and we try to beat teams with speed and height. If we can get that combination going, then we will have a good shot Friday night.”But the challenge for the Tigers won’t end with the Cornhuskers, as LSU will play two matches Saturday.LSU’s first match will be against Louisiana-Lafayette, and the second will be against Tulane, who received votes in this week’s AVCA poll.The Green Wave did not compete last weekend because six members of the team had the H1N1 virus.- – – -Contact Andy Schwehm at [email protected]