The LSU volleyball team swept the second straight tournament of its season last weekend, defeating Central Arkansas (3-0), TCU (3-2) and Alcorn State (3-0) to claim the TCU Molten Invitational title.
The No. 21-ranked Lady Tigers extended their winning streak to six games and are 6-0 for the first time since 2007.
Freshman middle blocker Desiree Elliott and junior middle blocker Michele Williams earned All-Tournament Team accolades, while senior outside hitter Angela Bensend was named Tournament MVP.
“I can’t say enough about Angela’s performance,” said LSU coach Fran Flory. “She was the heart of our team and did a little bit of everything throughout. She was the stabilizing force that led our young team to the win.”
Bensend finished the tournament with a team-leading 39 kills for the weekend, including a career-best 20 kills to go along with a career-best 26 digs in the match against TCU.
Bensend, whose 20-20 effort was the first since former Tiger Marina Skender’s in 2006, said the competition during the weekend was a challenge for the team.
“It was a great match and a learning experience for us,” Bensend said. “We knew we had to stay confident, and we persevered in the end.”
Williams, coming off her tournament MVP performance last weekend, had 12 blocks in the tournament, including eight against TCU, while chalking up a career-high 16 kills.
Following a great attacking performance in last weekend’s tournament, Flory said the offense shined again.
“Our team put a lot of balls away, and I was proud of the hitting percentage because it showed our offensive efficiency,” Flory said after the Central Arkansas game. “This is a great type of match, both style and tempo, for our team to play. It will help us prepare for the rest of our season.”
The biggest struggle for the Tigers came against TCU.
LSU pulled ahead 2-0 (27-25, 25-19) in two tough clashes and looked poised to win in straight sets. The Horned Frogs fought back to take the next two sets (20-25, 18-25), bringing the duel to a rubber match.
The Lady Tigers fought back to take the final set (15-11) and win the opening match of the tournament.
Flory said the match was a good barometer for the team before entering Southeastern Conference play.
“Our team showed great resilience, and I was impressed with how we fought back,” Flory said. “We chose to come to this tournament because TCU is a tough place to play. They’re all over you, very similar to a lot of SEC venues.”
The Tigers rode senior setter Brittney Johnson’s birthday performance of 23 assists against Alcorn State to cap off a second straight tournament victory.
Flory said the Invitational was another positive step for the team going forward.
“Two tournament championships during the first two weekends is certainly a nice tribute to the work ethic and type of players we have in our program,” Flory said. “We learned a few things about ourselves, and I’m excited for them going     forward.”
The team travels back to Baton Rouge for its much awaited home-opener this weekend in the Tiger Classic. LSU will take on North Carolina on Friday and Rice and New Mexico State on Saturday.
“This is very challenging tournament ahead,” Flory said. “All of these teams were in the NCAA tournament last season and have chances to do well in their respective conferences again. We expect three tough matches against three well-coached teams.”
 
 
 
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Contact Mark Clements at [email protected]