LSU dropped the final match of the Tiger Classic on Saturday against Southern Mississippi, losing in four sets.
The loss resulted in the Tigers being swept in the tournament, but there were positives to take away from playing high-caliber teams, said sophomore setter
Lindsay Flory.
“We can definitely build on these games moving forward,” Flory said. “The different looks these teams provided will help us prepare for conference play.”
LSU played its first opponent — the University of Connecticut — on Friday, falling in three sets to the Huskies.
The Tigers returned to action that evening to play the University of Virginia but lost in four sets in a hard-fought game that featured 15 lead changes.
Though LSU lost the first set, the team rallied back to win the next two. The Tigers had the Cavaliers on the ropes in the fourth set, but Virginia took advantage of four-straight Tiger errors to push the match to a fifth and
final set.
The Tigers never found a rhythm in the fifth and final set, which gave the match to Virginia.
“I thought we fought well and hard,” said LSU coach Fran Flory in a press release. “I thought we did that against Virginia, but we didn’t play with any poise or confidence. We have a lot to overcome with our mentality and teaching. I’ve said it all along. We are a work in progress.”
LSU junior hitter Gina Tillis had her third double-double of the season, with 16 kills and 18 digs against the Cavaliers. Junior defensive specialist Kelly Quinn finished day one with a career-high 26 digs, and senior middle blocker Tiara Gibson had two 10 kill performances in the first two games.
According to Fran Flory, the young players received good exposure, but the upperclassmen will have to step up in order to win games in the future.
“At times, we lacked poise and confidence,” Flory said. “We needed to set the bar high, and I think this tournament helped us do that.”
The Tigers will travel to Orlando, Florida, for the UCF Classic, which features the University of Seattle and Florida Atlantic.