Front line leads ‘Bama
Tide ranks third nationally in total yardage
By Chris Gibson, Sports Writer
With seven victories in its last eight matches, the LSU volleyball team is rolling into the postseason. After a weekend sweep of Ole Miss and Mississippi State, the Tigers will drop into Fayetteville, Ark., to face Southeastern Conference Western Division Champion Arkansas tonight at 7 p.m.
The Lady ‘Backs (21-5, 12-2 SEC) are riding a streak of their own, having won six in a row and 10 of their last 11 matches. Arkansas leads the SEC Western Division by three games with two to play.
The Tigers (17-8, 9-5 SEC) currently hold a three-match lead over Alabama in the West, and if the season ended today, would enter the SEC Tournament as the fourth seed.
“This is always a big match for us,” said LSU head coach Fran Flory. “Arkansas is a big, physical team and has had a lot of success at home.”
Arkansas has won 10 of 13 matches at home and owns an early season victory over LSU. In their first meeting, the Lady ‘Backs rallied to defeat the Tigers 3-1 after dropping the first game.
Each team posted sub-par hitting performances. The Tigers finished the match with a .190 hitting percentage, while the visitors connected on just 20 percent of their shots.
“When we lost to them early in the season, we did a poor job of running our offense, and we were out-dug by 17,” Flory said. “We need to play smart, be efficient offensively, and stay aggressive at the net to win.”
In the first matchup, Arkansas recorded 12 blocks to LSU’s 10. Arkansas also won the defensive battle by out-digging the Tigers, 76-59.
The Tigers will rely on Rachel Vogt, Jenny Greco and Regan Hood to pick up the pace defensively. Vogt recorded a career-high 18 digs in Sunday’s five-game victory against Ole Miss. Greco chipped in with 16 digs of her own, while Hood continued her outstanding play down the stretch. Hood led the Tigers with nine blocks and 14 kills Sunday in the Tigers’ third match of the week.
Hood has developed into a powerful presence in the middle for LSU in her first season as a full-time starter. The sophomore middle-blocker is second on the team offensively behind Jennifer Hampton. Hood has recorded 278 kills this season while hitting nearly 28 percent of her shots. Defensively, Hood leads the team with 92 blocks.
“Regan has developed into a very good middle-blocker,” Flory said. “She is someone who will have this foundation behind her for the next two seasons. Now she is mentally prepared and is leading the way in our defense.”
Flory said Hood always possessed the physical tools to be a dominating player but needed this season to improve her mental game.
The Tigers will continue to count on senior outside-hitter Jennifer Hampton to spark the offense. Hampton leads the Tigers with 387 kills, which translates to just more than four per game.
Arkansas will counter with its own dominating front line. Sarah Kincaid is hitting at a .357 clip, while Libby Windell smacks in nearly 35 percent of her shots.
Following tonight’s contest, the Tigers will return home to prepare for their final regular season match at Tennessee Sunday at 1 p.m.
A win against Arkansas will maintain momentum for the Tigers and may send a message to potential SEC Tour-nament foes. Flory said that her team still is playing for a higher seed regardless of the standings.
“We need to build momentum going into the tournament,” Flory said. “We gained confidence this weekend by winning in five games on the road, and that is a tribute to the heart this team has.”