Lindsay Flory is no stranger to LSU athletics. The senior setter practically grew up on campus and knew it was exactly where she was destined to be.
Flory has been on the team since her freshman year. She’s a Baton Rouge native who played volleyball all through high school and excelled at it, which is no surprise considering her mother is head coach Fran Flory.
“LSU has always been home to me,” Flory said. “I really liked all of the other schools, but none of them were LSU. I just couldn’t get it out of my head. I’ve grown up around it, I love it so much. The entire staff, the campus and just everyone is a big family and has been part of me for such a long time.”
In Flory’s freshman year she started in all but one game. She had 22 double digit matches assisting and led in seven matches. In her sophomore year, she continued her pursuit and put out many double digit assist yet again. During her junior year she had the second most aces on the team with 15, got her first career double-double and put up many assists. For stats such as these, she credits the coaching staff.
“The different coaches that have rotated through while I’ve been here have all brought a different aspect of coaching to me,” Flory said. ‘That’s really important when you’re learning something. The entire coaching staff is like a family. Just having the different personalities and the opportunities, I’ve learned so much from each coach that I’ve had in college. That’s a really big blessing.”
Flory’s senior season has been nothing short of outstanding so far. She’s been a leader for the team in every match and continues to fight despite the season’s less-than-stellar record. She was also named SEC Co-Setter of the Week following wins over Mississippi State and Alabama, where she put up 87 assists in just eight sets, averaging 10.88 assists per set.
Contrary to what others might assume, Lindsay said being the coach’s daughter has never really affected her. The two have a professional coach to player relationship on the court. At the same time, Fran is like a mom to everyone and the team is more like a family, so Flory never feels out of place.
“I think it’s pretty normal [having her mom as a coach] because if you ask someone on our team, people forget I’m her daughter, and sometimes I’ll forget she’s my mom,” said Flory. “At practice I’ll be sitting there and then all of the sudden I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s my mom.’ We have separate places for our lives. We do a really good job of separating it.”
As Flory’s last season winds down to a close, she’s filled with various emotions, but the only way to describe them all is bittersweet. After four years of being on a team, it’s going to take time to transition into another chapter of her life. Flory says she’s going to miss the time she spends with her teammates the most, but cannot wait to see what they become.
“I’m sad it’s ending,” said Flory. “I’m really sad that I won’t be on a team with these girls anymore. I know we’ll always be like a family and we’ll always be keep in touch, but I’ll miss the closeness of being with each other for so many hours at a time. I don’t think I’m necessarily prepared for that. I’m not sure how it’s gonna hit me yet, but I’m super excited for where they’re gonna go next year. I’m so excited to just watch and cheer them on in their future, not only as volleyball players, but as women.”
Flory’s years with LSU will stick with her forever. She described the four years as a mountain. She explained how this group has always stuck together through the highs and lows. They were always in it together, trying to make it to the peak of the mountain.
“It’s been amazing,” said Flory. “The people I’ve met and the experiences I’ve had — I couldn’t imagine going anywhere else and not having the people I’m friends with now, just getting to do life with all of them. I’m just super thankful.”
