The No. 23 LSU volleyball team will begin its 2009 Southeastern Conference title defense Friday afternoon in College Station, Texas.
The Tigers will compete in the Texas A&M Invitational, facing off against Pacific on Friday at noon, Siena at 8 p.m. and Texas A&M on Saturday at noon.
LSU will take the court with just three returning starters — senior outside hitter Angela Bensend, junior libero Lauren Waclawczyk and junior middle blocker Michele Williams.
Bensend will be expected to provide the Tigers’ offensive firepower. In the last three seasons, they have won 14 of 15 matches in which Bensend has logged double-digit kills.
Waclawczyk tallied 425 digs in 2009 and finished 10th in the SEC with a 3.76 dig-per-set ratio. Williams, a 2010 All-SEC Preseason Team selection, will bring her 244 kills, 124 blocks and 30 aces to the team.
LSU coach Fran Flory said she is ready to see the defense in action.
“I think we’re a pretty good defensive and ball control team,” Flory said. “But you don’t know that until you get across the net from someone else.”
Other players looking to play larger roles on the team are sophomore libero Sam Delahoussaye, sophomore outside hitter Madie Jones and sophomore libero Meghan Mannari.
Flory is still unsure how the unseasoned team will perform in its first matches of the season.
“There will be opening day jitters,” Flory said. “I’m sure we’ll be nervous.”
Seeing how other coaches attack her strategies has Flory excited for the start of the season.
“I’m actually anxious to be exploited by another coach, because that’s how we’ll get better,” Flory said. “We try to do that ourselves, but any new perspective of how to attack us is going to make us that much better.”
Pacific returns all seven starters from a team that finished in ninth place at 7-17 in the Northwest Conference last season.
Siena, who has claimed four out of the last five Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference titles, has five seniors returning to a team that went 15-13 last season.
LSU will end the weekend with the same team that ended its 2009 season — Texas A&M. The Aggies defeated the Tigers in the PMAC in the second round of the NCAA tournament — a thought that hasn’t escaped the minds of the LSU players.
“We want to win, there’s no question there,”  said senior setter Brittney Johnson. “But we want to win in preseason so we have momentum and can come into the SEC strong. We’re going to use each tournament and each weekend to help us get ready for conference play.”
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Contact Rob Landry at [email protected]