The Tigers volleyball team finished last season with promising hopes for next fall, despite finishing with a losing record.
A 2003 roster stacked with freshmen showed its youth during the final stretch of the season. LSU, after winning its final home game, was at 6-6 in the conference, with five games remaining, all on the road.
The 2003 senior-less Tigers fell short in all five conference games, dropping their record to 6-10 in the Southeastern Conference, and putting them out of postseason competition.
The Tigers ended the season 11-19 overall and 6-10 in the Southeastern Conference, falling victim to inconsistent play all season, never enjoying a winning streak longer than two games.
With spring practice underway, the team is looking forward to the 2004 season.
“We certainly want to improve upon what we started this year,” coach Fran Flory said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t have the depth and we had to throw a lot of freshmen in there, but I’m proud of the way they played.”
Flory said freshmen athletes who did not see playing time also benefitted from lessons learned last season.
“Getting to see what the coaches see from the sidelines and gain perspective there can be just as valuable,” Flory said.
Key players last season knew that LSU’s breakout year should be in 2004, if they could endure the learning pains in the 2003 season.
“In the back of everybody’s minds it’s ‘we’re going to be dynamite next year,’ but you really have to focus on this year and what’s coming,” said sophomore Megan Heinz during the 2003 season.
Coach Fran Flory said this year’s team, now with a full season under its belt, is expected to win more games.
“We think next year is going to be a good season for us,” Flory said. “We’re just trying to build on what we did last season.”