LSU volleyball has taken off to a very remarkable, yet unlikely, start to its season.
The Tigers have raced out to a 9-2 start through their first 11 games, a start that soars past the 5-6 start from a year ago. The team has prioritized buying into a system that coach Fran Flory has been adamantly insisting will be effective.
In her 20th season as the head coach for the Tigers, Flory has led LSU to its best start to the season since 2013.
With players out on the court like freshman Taylor Bannister, senior Gina Tillis and junior Toni Rodriguez, the Tigers hope to maintain their early-season success and have a different outcome at the end of the season.
“I think we have to understand what we do works,” Flory said. “We can’t play from behind. We have to play with can-do mental approach. The physicality will take care of itself.”
Led by strong play from a talented recruiting class and a unified nucleus of upperclassmen, LSU has managed to become one of the premier Southeastern Conference teams.
“I think our young kids have grown up,” Flory said. “Certainly I would say we’ve brought in an impactful recruiting class. When we recover and mature, and then add the right pieces, things will start to get headed in the right direction.”
Following their first losses of the season to North Carolina and Baylor, the Tigers found a way to regroup heading into their home-opener against Houston, ultimately defeating the Cougars in straight sets: 26-24, 25-13, and 25-19. 
Establishing a team identity has been the primary focus of the team as it looks past its recent losses.
“I think we have to establish a true consistent personality,” Flory said. “We started the season with a very successful, with a very driven personality and a confident personality. When that personality and work was tested at North Carolina and Baylor, I don’t think we trusted each other. I still think we are a work-in-progress, but we are headed in the right direction.”
“We got back to the basics and simplified things,” Flory said. “We understood that we are not a one or two-person show and we have balance. I think we got away from that in the North Carolina and Baylor matches, but I think we got back to that [against Houston].”
At the current pace, this team is in the works of becoming one of the most decorated groups during coach Flory’s tenure at LSU, and have a chance to earn a high seed heading into postseason play.
“We have a great amount of talent,” Flory said. “We understand there’s a process to this. The building process is a ‘one step at a time’ process. I look forward to this team continuing to grow.”
As LSU prepares for its SEC opener against Texas A&M, the Tigers are now carrying momentum after their bounce back victory. The games become a bit more meaningful just before conference play and the confidence level is tremendously high for Flory’s squad.
LSU’s drastic turnaround has been remarkable as its winning percentage has made an impactful jump from last year. The Tigers’ nine wins on the season thus far has tied its win total from all of last season.