It’s been an up-and-down season for LSU’s volleyball team this year, and with only two games left to play, the Tigers’ ride is almost finished.
The Tigers (9-18, 4-12 Southeastern Conference) travel to College Station Wednesday to meet Texas A&M and return home Saturday to host Alabama to wrap up the 2016 season.
“We’re playing for pride this week,” said sophomore defensive specialist Katie Kampen. “We’ve got nothing to lose, so hopefully we’re able to go out and play loose.”
LSU has done a lot of growing up since its first meeting with the Aggies — a match the Tigers lost 3-1 on Sept. 30.
“Our growth this season has been a slow process,” said LSU coach Fran Flory. “But I do feel that we have made a lot of improvements this season.”
“We’ve come a long way from where we started,” junior outside hitter Gina Tillis added. “We still have tendencies to make young mistakes, but our growth is evident.”
LSU hopes maturity will help its chances against a physical A&M squad.
The Aggies (19-8, 13-3 SEC) are No. 4 in the SEC, and the team is playing for a chance to compete in this year’s NCAA tournament.
“A&M is a disciplined and polished team,” Flory said. “We saw that when we played them earlier this year, and we are prepared to see it again on Wednesday.”
According to Flory, Alabama will also present a challenge, due to its strong senior leadership.
Alabama outside hitter Krystal Rivers is one of Crimson Tide senior LSU will have to contain in order to end its season on a strong note.
“Rivers is arguably the best hitter in the league,” Flory said. “Our goal is to try to limit her and then try to control the rest of the team.”
However, the Tigers insist their primary focus will always be on their own play rather than the opponents’.
“When we get in a rhythm, we’re hard to stop,” Kampen said. “If we execute the plays that we’ve practiced, we’ll end this season on a good note.”