The LSU volleyball team will travel to Manhattan, Kan. this weekend for the Wildcat Tournament minus a few key players.
Sophomore starter Megan Heinz and junior setter Beth Cowley were both removed from the Sugar Bowl tournament due to injuries and are not likely to play this weekend.
Heinz was named to the All-Tournament Team after the Tiger Classic when she finished with 31 kills and 13 blocks for the weekend.
Cowley will likely sit out a while due to soreness in her wrist, LSU coach Fran Flory said.
LSU will face No. 12 Kansas State (7-2), Colorado State (5-2) and South Florida (4-3).
Colorado State has received national poll votes and South Florida won the 2002 Conference USA championship. Flory said the Wildcat Tournament will present a higher level of competition than the Tigers (3-3) have seen this season.
“These teams traditionally play high quality volleyball,” Flory said. “This is a good opportunity to play teams from conferences that traditionally send several programs to the NCAA Tournament every year, and we think we have a good chance to knock one of them off.”
Megan Heinz said this weekend the team will have to overcome adversity.
“Everyone’s going to have to step up,” Heinz said.
The Tigers will have the strength and accuracy of junior Regan Hood, who led the team in kills last weekend against University of New Orleans with 12.
Proven freshman Lauren Leaumont will also look to lead the wounded Tigers. She had a career-high 15 kills and 10 digs against UNO. Junior defensive specialist Rachel Pittman led the team in digs against UNO with 10.
Kansas State’s Lauren Goehring is ranked first in the Big XII and third in the nation in hitting percentage (.500). The Wildcats have a seven game winning streak and recorded a school-record 18 service aces last weekend.
Colorado State’s Tess Rogers has recorded 20 kills three times in her career. Last weekend against Colorado, Rogers led the team with 17 kills.
Junior Shameka Mitchell leads the South Florida Bulls in kills per game with 5.15. She also leads the team in points this season with 160.