One match, five sets, two teams. It was anyone’s game as the LSU Tigers entered the PMAC to face off the Alabama Crimson Tide. But was it really?
Alabama traveled to Baton Rouge with a three-game losing streak and a last-in-the-SEC ranking weighing on its back as it played LSU on Sunday in a scrappy, four-set match.
The first set was an uneasy one for the Tigers, even though it had the standings advantage being ranked No. 8 in the SEC. Yet LSU gave Alabama 11 points worth of errors.
On top of that, Alabama’s junior outside hitter Sophie Agee led her team with four kills in the first set, followed by senior outside hitter Paris Thompson, who contributed three kills.
Graduate middle blocker Chaise Campbell brought a singular ace to the court, awarding another point to Alabama.
With their efforts alongside their teammates, Alabama finished set one with 13 points worth of kills.
LSU, on the other hand, scored 17 kills in the first set through several leading players.
Freshman middle blocker Jessica Jones scored three kills, sophomore middle blocker Angelina Lee scored four and sophomore outside hitter Jurnee Robinson led the team with seven.
Still, with zero blocks and a mountain of errors, LSU lost the first set, 25-21.
As the Tigers dove into the second set, they knew they had to take the upper hand if they wanted to turn things around.
Robinson said that the team’s coaches simply reminded them that in order to take control of the second set and potentially the rest of the match, the team couldn’t force the game in its direction.
“Sometimes when we’re losing, we try to push, and push and push, and sometimes we just don’t need to.” Robinson said.
With only nine errors in set two, LSU showed signs of improvement in grounding themselves.
Robinson and Lee both scored five kills each. Robinson also delivered a singular ace, contributing six points in LSU’s favor.
Set two was where aces shined for the Tigers on behalf of Robinson, freshman libero Aly Kirkhoff, freshman outside hitter Lainee Pyles and graduate setter Bailey Ortega, who’s top 50 in the NCAA in assists.
With four aces, two blocks and 15 kills, LSU brought home set two, 21-16.
In their best efforts to form a winning streak, LSU moved into set three, where the Tigers finished with 18 kills, two blocks and 24 digs.
Robinson and Ortega led the set with five digs each.
The Tigers also delivered two successful blocks in the third set, courtesy of Lee and sophomore outside hitter AC Froelich.
Lee also contributed three kills, helping lead her team to a close victory at the end of the set three, 25-22.
The fourth set was a make-or-break one for the Tigers.
If Alabama won set four, the two teams would tie and they would continue to face off one another in a fifth set.
Alabama finished the set with 15 kills and LSU with 14.
Agee scored five kills in set four, followed by Thompson, who scored four.
As for LSU, the kill leaders of this set were Lee and Robinson, where Robinson scored four kills and Lee closed the set with a whopping seven kills.
“Our middles were exceptional tonight,” head coach Tonya Johnson said. “Angie had 19 kills, which is unbelievable.”
Lee topped her kill count of 11 kills in one match by eight tonight, setting a new personal best for her career.
Johnson feels that the team’s middle blockers have truly helped shape the Tiger’s wins this season, and was especially evident in Sunday’s match.
“Us finding a way to get the ball to our middles has been huge for us this season,” Johnson said. “As long as they continue to put the ball away, we’ll keep feeding them.”
19-19, 20-20, 24-24 – the Tigers and the Crimson Tide found themselves tied again and again throughout set four, but it was Lee’s final two kills of the match – and a block assist through the help of Robinson – that set the score in favor of LSU, 26-24.
Despite Alabama’s attempt to challenge Lee’s kill, LSU won set four and the overall match 3-1.
After this neck-and-neck battle, the Tigers are gearing up to travel to Knoxville this Friday to take on the Tennessee Volunteers.
“Tennessee’s a very good team,” Johnson said. “And we’re gonna have to be prepared to compete from beginning to end.”