The LSU and Alabama rivalry is a classic tradition that runs deep in college football.
From the intensity of the game atmosphere to the level of fan enthusiasm, the entire rundown of game days has stemmed from the two fan bases’ competitive drive against each other.
However, fans usually don’t hear much about said rivalry regarding smaller sports programs at LSU. In volleyball, there have never been huge conversations surrounding the rivalry against the Crimson Tide on the court.
Those factors beg a question: Is this rivalry still as meaningful to the athletes on LSU’s volleyball roster?
Anna Claire “AC” Froehlich, the team’s junior right side hitter, believes so.
Froehlich, a Lafayette native, said matchups against Alabama are intense for her regardless of the sport because of her Louisiana upbringing and her overall passion for the Tigers.
“I’m from Louisiana, and being a part of LSU’s program is such an important thing to me,” Froehlich said. “I’m playing for the pride of my school and if we’re competing against an LSU rival, especially a team like Alabama, it’s a need-to-win.”
Looking at the two teams’ history, the Tigers have a 45-31 all-time series record against the Crimson Tide. LSU has won eight of the last 10 matchups against Alabama and went on a seven-match win streak before suffering an 0-3 sweep earlier this season.
Against Alabama, LSU has a 17-21 record of matchups in Tuscaloosa, but takes a 21-6 advantage over the Tide at home in Baton Rouge.
Whether LSU has faced Alabama away or at home, the Tigers have always gone into those matches with an “us versus them” mindset.
“I think for us, we approach those games with almost like a vengeance, especially if football doesn’t beat that team that year,” Froehlich said. “We kind of are like, ‘Well, now we have to [beat Alabama] because we’re good too.’”
A specific moment that Froehlich recalled from past matchups against Alabama was the way the Tigers felt taking a 3-1 victory over the Crimson Tide in their final game of the 2024 season.
“Last season, our last game of the season was against Alabama. It was kind of just a battle of will, because at that point this is our last one,” Froehlich said. “I remember that match feeling very much like, ‘This [win] needs to happen.’”
The fun behind this Alabama rivalry doesn’t just stop with the athletes.
LSU associate head coach Jill Wilson has a reputation for blaring “Dixieland Delight” during the team’s warmups when facing the Crimson Tide. Wilson does this almost as if to get the team angry in their need to win, Froehlich said. Seeing the overall statistics, the strategy must work.
As Froehlich reflected once more on the LSU versus Alabama rivalry, she noted that it doesn’t matter how good either team is or what sport it is. Although the fan base for volleyball might not be as vast as the fan base for football, that rivalry still carries the exact same level of importance, she said.
To the Tigers, it will always simply be LSU versus Alabama, and that’s more than enough to fuel Froehlich’s match day energy.
“The pride of competing for LSU is for everything,” Froehlich said. “If I’m LSU, nobody can beat us.”
