The LSU volleyball team entered its matchup with the Houston Cougars (3-3) on Saturday with hopes of breaking out of a recent funk.
Coming off back-to-back losses to North Carolina and Baylor after starting the season 8-0, LSU (9-2) looked to resume its winning ways in its home-opener against a momentum-filled team.
The Tigers began the first set strong, forcing Houston to call a timeout after falling 6-1. LSU managed to stretch its lead to as many as six points before Houston began to gain momentum.
The Cougars went on a 7-1 run, eventually taking a one point lead over LSU. Behind marque kills of junior middle blocker Olivia Beyer and senior outside hitter Gina Tillis, LSU stormed back in front and took the first set 26-24.
The Tigers continued their domination of the second set in route to a 25-13 victory. Beyer continued her dominance in the second set, leading LSU with eight kills on 11 attacks and a hitting percentage of .636.
The formidable play of the Tigers in the second set translated over to the third set as LSU jumped out to a 10-5 lead. Houston began to make push, but LSU had an answer for every ounce of energy the Cougars attempted to grab. The Tigers assumed all of the momentum and rolled to a 25-19 victory to take the match in straight sets.
“Quite honestly, the pressure was on us because we did not have a great year on this floor last year,” said coach Fran Flory following the win. “A few of those demons kind of came back at the start of this match… I was a little concerned the way we started. We came out really well and then we kind of backed off and lost our personality and lost our drive.”
The Tigers orchestrated a team-oriented match, receiving contributions from a multitude of players across the board. This balanced attack kept Houston on its toes and gave the Tigers a boost in their offensive attack.
“What stood out overall is our team was balanced,” Flory said. “We have been trying to get balance in our offense so we’re not one-dimensional. At times, Taylor (Bannister) has certainly carried us at times, Gina (Tillis) carried us at times, Toni (Rodriguez) has carried us at times, our middles have carried us at times. The goal was to get everyone doing what they do at the same time so we can’t be one-dimensional.”
With the victory, LSU advances to 9-2 on the season, tying its win total of the entire 2016 season.
The Tigers will face Texas A&M on Friday, Sept. 22 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center at 7 p.m.