The LSU volleyball team’s path to defend its Southeastern Conference title is shaping up to be an intriguing one.
The Tigers graduated four seniors, three of which started all 32 matches and 116 sets from last season.
Along with star middle blocker Lauren DeGirolamo, the Tiger front line lost All-Americans in fellow middle blocker Brittnee Cooper and outside hitter Marina Skender.
Cooper led the SEC in both blocks and hitting percentage last season, earning SEC Player of the Year honors. Skender finished her LSU career with 1,481 kills and was a three-time All-SEC athlete.
LSU coach Fran Flory said while the girls are irreplaceable, the incoming freshman class provides a possible solution.
“You can’t just replace [those seniors], and you certainly can’t replace what they meant to this program,” Flory said. “But this is a real special class. I think this is going to be a class that is going to be significant in the history of our program.”
Flory will turn to three seniors to anchor the team this season — outside hitter Angela Bensend, setter/right side Brittney Johnson and outside hitter/middle blocker Tania Schatow.
Flory said Bensend has stepped up and developed into a stabilizing force for the Tiger offense this off-season.
The Plano, Texas, native played in 29 matches last year, including 22 starts to end the season. As one of only five upperclassmen on the team, Bensend has established herself as one of the leaders of the young team both on and off the court.
“I’ve watched the older players growing up, and now I’m trying to lead by example and follow in their footsteps,” Bensend said. “I’ve always tried to step up and be vocal on the court, and I’ve always tried to talk all during practice to try to help the team out.”
The team welcomes six new freshmen to the roster, the most since 2006. Flory said each newcomer will play a significant role on the team this year.
“I have a lot of respect for our upperclassmen because they have welcomed the young kids in with open arms,” Flory said. “They know they’re important to us. This team has formed very quickly together, and you have to attribute that to the upperclassmen.”
With four seniors departed and six new faces on the court, Flory said the team will look to establish a new identity while keeping the same goals in mind.
“We can reinvent ourselves and we can create a new opportunity and that’s what we’re trying to do with our young kids,” Flory said.
Joining Bensend on the front line is 6-foot-4 Schatow. The Frasier, Mich., native will see action as both outsider hitter and middle blocker this season.
Flory said the combination of those two, plus sophomore Maddie Jones, will leave no holes in the Tiger offense.
“We shouldn’t have a spot that we’re weak in,” Flory said. “We should be able to run every zone on the net fast and high. Our offense has potential to be great because we have balance everywhere, and we have weapons everywhere, which is nice.”