The Tigers are back in Baton Rouge this Friday for the Battle on the Bayou after spiking a winning weekend on the sand at the FSU Unconquered Invitational.
No. 10 LSU travelled to Tallahassee, Florida, to compete against some of the top AVCA teams last weekend. It returns home with three wins, adding to its record, now standing at 19-10.
“It’s not very often that you can get to this point of the season and be playing really solid volleyball but also know for sure that we can still get better,” LSU head coach Russell Brock said. “I’m so proud of the way we fought all the way through our lineup in every single match.”
Starting against South Florida in an exhibition match, LSU swept a 4-1 win over the Bulls, with only Tatum Finlason and Kate Baker falling short on Court 4, 15-21, 21-17 and 11-15.
Given that Bulls have recently established their beach team this year, they are not eligible for Division I competition until this July, so the Tigers’ win will not be added to LSU’s record.
Following South Florida, LSU angled its play against No. 15 Florida Atlantic in another win, going 3-2 over the Owls.
Coming off a loss, Baker and Finlason earned the Tigers their first point against FAU after carrying Court 4, 21-9 and 21-13.
Through Audrey O’Gorman and Julia Sprecher on Court 3 alongside Madison Meyer and Skylar Martin on Court 5, LSU set the standard as it brought home another winning match.
Finally, it was time for the last match on Friday, facing host No. 5 FSU.
The Tigers did their best to bring home a win over the Seminoles as the two teams tied 2-2, with the match coming down to the wire for Finlason and Baker on Court 4.
LSU’s anchors battled against FSU’s Kenzie Hulquist and Makenna Wolfe, starting with a 19-21 loss in the first set but coming back with a 21-19 win.
One final set, one final match, one final goal – it was anyone’s game.
Finlason and Baker brought everything they could, but Hulquist and Wolfe wiped them out in a 15-10 set win for the Seminoles, giving FSU a 3-2 win over the Tigers.
Despite that loss, LSU continued onto day two of the invitational, where it faced the University of Texas for the first time in a 3-2 loss.
Before it found itself before the Longhorns, LSU’s Parker Bracken earned a win for her team, 21-18 and 21-13, securing her 100th win as a Tiger.
“To add her 100th win to her already incredible college beach volleyball resume just shows how special she is,” Brock said. “Parker has been playing in the top flights for her whole career. She has earned every win along the way.”
The Ridgeland, Mississippi, native is the third in LSU history to secure a 100 wins on the sand, following Claire Coppola at 121 and Kristen Nuss at 139, according to LSU.
As Bracken celebrated her win alongside her team, the Tigers soared over South Carolina in 5-0 win, ending its weekend on a high note.
In that match Bracken and Bailey won 21-18 and 21-17, adding another win to the senior’s record.
Baker and Finlason matched the second set on Court 5 on top of their 21-19 set one win, snagging another point in LSU’s favor.
As the Tigers prepare for the Battle on the Bayou, their last regular season event, they are also preparing to honor their seniors. They will compete against Houston Christian University, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Tulane and the University of New Orleans.
“I can’t wait to get to work this week to prepare for our last regular season home event,” Brock said. “ We are really looking forward to playing in front of our families and fans to honor our incredible seniors.”
