With a feast, family and some free time just around the corner, the LSU volleyball team has one final task before they head home for a quick holiday.
Having already clinched the Southeastern Conference Western Division crown, the No. 17 Tigers (24-4, 15-4) face Eastern Division foe Arkansas (14-16, 8-11) on Wednesday night.
The Tigers won the last meeting between the two schools, 3-1, on Oct. 13, but LSU coach Fran Flory warns that this match could be a potential slip up.
“This is a dangerous match,” Flory said. “Coming off of playing No. 1 with the emotional senior night and Thanksgiving right behind it, we’re going to have to really do a great job preparing for that match and being mentally focused. We can’t let one slip at the end of the year.”
As SEC West champs, senior outside hitter Angela Bensend said the Tigers constantly have a target on their backs.
“Every team guns for us,” Bensend said. “As long as we keep practicing hard and playing hard, I think we’ll win.”
Even this late in the season, Flory said she has seen improvement and development with some of her younger players.
“It’s interesting to still be growing up at this point in the season, but we are,” Flory said. “We got a little better. We gained a little confidence.”
Undoubtedly some of the credit for this continuous progress should be attributed to the three Tiger seniors — Bensend, setter Brittney Johnson and middle blocker Tania Schatow.
The match, which marks the final regular season game of LSU’s 2010 slate, is also the last regular season game for the three Tiger seniors.
The three veterans have compiled a 92-29 record in their four years at LSU, including four straight SEC West championships and four NCAA Regional tournament appearances.
“Those three [seniors] have ridden the wave of success that they have created,” Flory said. “I couldn’t be more proud of a group.”
Flory also said the trio’s accomplishments haven’t been limited to the court.
“They’ve meant more than that off the court with great leadership, academic focus and just setting the tone for the program and for the team this year,” she said. “They’re the reason we’re where we are today.”
LSU is one of only 20 programs to appear in each of the last five NCAA tournaments. The Tigers are poised to end the season on a high note and extend the streak to six tournament appearances.
LSU will discover its fate Sunday at 2:00 p.m., and tournament play is set to begin the first weekend of December.
 
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Contact Mark Clements at [email protected]