A 20-year hiatus can leave a lot of unanswered questions for the new generation of volleyball fans about how the SEC Volleyball Tournament will go down.
For young fans in purple and gold, hopes of another championship title on LSU’s record is something to look forward to, despite those questions.
Here’s a quick overview about the tournament history and how it will work:
All 16 SEC teams will be competing in the tournament with the top four seeds being No. 1 Kentucky, No. 2 Texas A&M, No. 3 Texas and No. 4 Tennessee. The Tigers had fallen to all of these four teams during regular season conference play.
The 2025 tournament will stretch over five days beginning Nov. 21, with the championship round falling on Nov. 25 at 6 p.m. There will be 15 matches in the tournament overall.
Out of every team, Florida currently holds the record for the most tournament championship wins at 13. Following behind, Kentucky claims five wins and both LSU and Tennessee have won four titles. Arkansas and Georgia have both claimed one as well.
In terms of the tournament this year, LSU earned the 11 seed, which means it will play the final match of the day in the first round.
In SEC Tournament history, LSU has a 27-29 overall match record with four championship titles before the hiatus began in 2005. Those championship titles were in 1986, 1989, 1990 and 1991.
LSU’s first title was won against Georgia. The next three were against Kentucky, Georgia once more and Florida. In history, LSU has made eight appearances in the tournament’s final round. The last time the Tigers reached the finale was in 2000.
The first match for the Tigers in the tournament will be against No.14 Ole Miss at 6 p.m. on Nov. 21. If they win, LSU would then move on to face No. 6 Missouri and possibly No. 3 Texas afterward if things go the right way for the Fighting Tigers.
Looking at history versus the Rebels, the Tigers previously defeated Ole Miss in the regular season with a 3-2 victory for the team’s senior night in Baton Rouge.
Prior to the hiatus, the Tigers took a 4-0 advantage in every match against Ole Miss in the tournament.
LSU’s outside hitter Nia Washington will get to face her former team one more time before her collegiate career officially ends. In the Tigers’ previous matchup against the Rebels, Washington landed the final kill to secure the victory for LSU.
LSU’s offense has been a firepower for the team this season. Outside hitter Jurnee Robinson and Washington have been a power-duo from the start of the season and continue to lead the Tigers’ offense match after match.
From a defensive perspective, middle blocker Jessica Jones has proven herself in her sophomore season. Fellow middle blocker Angelina Lee has also stepped up as of late to carry out career-best performances.
If one thing’s for certain, it will be an exciting time for volleyball in what will be the SEC’s biggest week for the sport.
