Since the Tigers are stuck in a three-way tie for sixth place in the Southeastern Conference, tonight’s volleyball match against Arkansas in Fayetteville is vital in determining what seed LSU will enter the SEC Tournament, which begins next weekend in Columbia, S.C.
“It’s going to be the difference between being seeded in the middle versus the end,” said LSU setter Beth Cowley.
LSU is fighting for a position against South Carolina and Kentucky, which currently hold the same 6-8 conference record as LSU.
Arkansas, No. 2 in the conference with a 13-1 SEC record, will likely be the second seed and face the No. 7 seed in the first game of the tournament.
Florida will most likely be the No. 1 seed and take on the No. 8 seed in game one.
The Razorbacks’ one conference loss came last Friday against the Gators.
Because LSU is not looking to face one of the two toughest teams in the conference in the first game of the SEC tournament, the Tigers want to finish ahead of South Carolina and Kentucky in the conference rankings in order to have an easier start, Cowley said.
Arkansas beat LSU earlier in the season 3-1, but LSU coach Fran Flory said her team has the emotional advantage tonight.
“We have something to play for,” Flory said. “We’re going to have to go in there with a point to prove. We have a chance to move up in the SEC seeding.”
Despite the loss, the first meeting with the Razorbacks was a record match for a couple of Tigers.
In the match, junior Regan Hood recorded a career-high 27 kills that landed her at 10th place on the LSU all-time record books for kills in a four-game match.
Sophomore Megan Heinz also made the LSU record books after tallying four solo blocks against the Razorbacks.
“We competed pretty well against Arkansas the first time,” Flory said. “But at key times we gave up errors.”
The Tigers kept it close in the first meeting of the two teams. LSU was tied with the Razorbacks at 27 in game one before Arkansas grabbed the win 30-27.
In the second game, the Tigers were behind 23-22 late in the game before the Razorbacks ended it 30-24.
The Tigers took the third game in a very close match that ended 31-29 to push the match into four games.
Game four ended with a 30-25 Arkansas win.
“When we played them we didn’t play our best,” Hood said.
Flory said the experience of the last few matches against nationally-ranked teams like Hawaii and Florida will aid the Tigers in tonight’s rematch with the Razorbacks.
“Now that we are playing with more experience, I think we have a good opportunity against them if we maintain our ball control and continue to be efficient offensively,” Flory said.
Last Sunday, the Razorbacks’ Jennifer Haaser had a career-high 14 blocks against Georgia. Arkansas hit .469 in the win against the Bulldogs with a career-best 12 kills by sophomore Karla Crose, five kills from Haaser and four kills from Sara Kincaid.
Hood said she likes facing difficult teams like Arkansas.
“I always like being the underdog,” Hood said. “We’re just going to go in and play as hard as we can.”
Tigers face crucial match
November 12, 2003