After recording a 5-7 pre-conference record, the LSU volleyball team opens Southeastern Conference play against division rival Arkansas at 7 p.m. in the PMAC.
“We’re ready to start SEC play,” said LSU coach Fran Flory.
Flory said Arkansas has a tough team this season and are picked to win the western division.
“Their dominant player is Sara Kincaid,” Flory said. “She’s 6-foot-5 and difficult to stop. She’s going to get a lot of kills.”
It is going to take a team effort, Flory said. However, she said the Razorbacks have a young team like the Tigers, so the playing level is pretty equal.
“I think it’ll be an interesting match,” Flory said. “They’re a physical team.”
Arkansas is 7-4 in non-conference play after beating Wichita State last weekend. Kincaid led the team with 25 kills against the Shockers. She hit .465 percent with 25 kills. Last season, Kincaid tied for the team lead in total blocks with 170. Following her junior season she ranked seventh in Arkansas history in solo shots with 26.
LSU’s Regan Hood was named tournament Most Valuable Player after the Tigers won last weekend’s Mean Green Classic. Hood had 4.91 kills per game, 13 blocks and 25 digs against University of Texas El Paso.
Hood said the Tigers will have to improve upon last weekend’s performance. Even though LSU came away with the tournament victory, she said the team committed a lot of errors that would have prevented a win against a team like Arkansas.
“Obviously we want to win but we know [Arkansas has] a lot of big girls,” Hood said. “They’re a good team so we can’t underestimate them.”