With only six games left in the regular season, LSU’s volleyball team finds itself in a league of its own.
The Tigers (7-16, 2-10 Southeastern Conference) are the only team in the SEC without a home win, as LSU currently has a dreary 0-11 record in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
LSU’s volleyball program is not accustomed to being this poor at home, and this season only represents the second time in six years that the Tigers will finish with a losing record in the PMAC.
To confuse LSU’s coaching staff further, the Tigers perform better on the road and have a 7-5 record in courts away from Baton Rouge.
“For whatever reason, we’re better on the road than we are at home, and teams are going to try to take advantage of that,” LSU coach Fran Flory said. “We need to start elevating our level of play in order to turn our luck around.”
LSU’s window to win a match on its home floor is rapidly shrinking, and the Tigers only have three home games remaining in the season.
Two of those three home matches will take place this weekend—when the Tigers take on Georgia Nov. 11 and Mississippi State Nov. 13.
“We really need to play our best volleyball this weekend,” said sophomore outside hitter Toni Rodriguez. “Picking up our first home wins this weekend would be a huge swing in momentum for us. Our games against Georgia and Ole Miss are the matches in front of us right now, and I think everyone is focused on changing our luck.”
LSU swept Georgia in Athens on Oct. 9, and the Tigers are ready to show the rest of the SEC that their home-court woes are finished.
“Right now, teams in the SEC want to play us at home,” Flory said. “Re-establishing our home court advantage this weekend is a necessity.”
Players insist that winning at home is not solely about proving a point to the conference, but also about giving back to the community.
“We know how important success is at LSU,” said senior middle blocker Tiara Gibson. “We want to win for our families that continue to support us and for the dads and daughters that ask for autographs after the game.”