LSU coach Fran Flory decided the LSU volleyball team needs a new approach after a four-game losing streak to Baylor, Florida State, Auburn and Arkansas.
Flory said she plans to showcase each player’s strengths for the Tigers’ next matchup.
“I think when we realize that we can be really good at a few things, then this team will take off,” Flory said, “but we’re so focused on what we’re not doing. We have to get focused on what we can do and how to best use our athletes.”
LSU (5-8 overall, 0-2 Southeastern Conference) will compete at the PMAC against Texas A&M at 7 p.m. on Friday and Missouri at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
LSU last faced off against the SEC’s eighth-ranked Texas A&M on Oct. 21. The Tigers fell in three sets and had 31 kills and 20 errors, while Texas A&M had 45 kills and 16 errors.
The Tigers last played the SEC’s second-ranked Missouri on Nov. 8. LSU fell again in three sets and had 32 kills and 27 errors. Missouri had 36 kills and 12 errors.
Texas A&M ranks third in the conference in kills, averaging 13.96 kills per set. Missouri trails behind in the fourth position and averages 13.81 kills per set. LSU ranks No. 12 on the list, with 12.53 kills per set.
Sophomore outside hitter Toni Rodriguez identified one of the team’s weaknesses: consistency.
“For us, finishing a set and finishing a match is one of our downfalls right now,” Rodriguez said.
But she also pointed out the team’s strengths.
“Our middles are very dynamic,” she said. “We have quick middles. We have big middles like [Tiara Gibson]. A faster middle would be [Olivia Beyer]. She’s very fast — blocking and hitting. Then, we have our outsides. Of course, [Gina Tillis] is going to be our go-to hitter — she’s big, she’s powerful. We have [Jariel Tureaud] on the right side. She can hammer the ball.”
Senior Tiara Gibson said focusing on everyone’s strengths will help build confidence and “foster the positive atmosphere [LSU is] lacking right now.”
Gibson said she believes the new strategy will be advantageous.
“A lot of times we look really defeated on the court,” Gibson said. “We almost maybe might doubt ourselves, and so just having this new approach is going to be a good way for us to see what we can do.”