A dominating performance from freshman middle blocker Briana Holman couldn’t help the LSU volleyball team as it lost in five sets to No. 20 Kentucky on Sunday at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Ky.
Holman led the team with 20 kills on an impressive .421 hitting percentage for the match, but LSU (15-9, 5-7 Southeastern Conference) couldn’t capitalize after capturing the first set 25-23.
Junior setter Malorie Pardo notched her team-leading 15th double-double on the season as she handed out 56 assists and stretched out for 12 digs.
Despite the loss, head coach Fran Flory said she was proud of her team’s effort and believes it can learn from this performance moving forward.
“I’m super proud of how hard we played and how well we played,” Flory said. “We didn’t do anything that cost us the match, but Kentucky stepped up and made a few more plays than us.”
The Tigers have made their living in the fifth set of matches this season as their seven five-set victories are tied for second most in program history.
Flory said the game plan was to push the Wildcats to a fifth set — a situation the Tigers are much more apt to playing in than Kentucky.
“We were excited to get to five [sets] because I really believed they wouldn’t be very comfortable in the fifth, and they weren’t,” Flory said. “They had a couple of kids with some special performances, and those were the deciding plays in the match.”
Flory credited the connection between freshman outside hitter Anni Thomasson and sophomore setter Morgan Bergren as the key for the Wildcats to work through their uncomfortable fifth set. Thomasson had a match-high 30 kills while Bergren had a match-leading 66 assists.
LSU showed positive steps in maintaining composure and the relatively young team “grew up” on the road against a top SEC opponent, according to Flory.
“That’s a big step for us for sure,” said sophomore outside hitter Katie Lindelow. “Even when we got down or they made a big run, it didn’t phase us, and we stayed calm and confident. We plan on taking that forward into the rest of the season.”
The Tigers will get a quick chance to show off their developing composure and chemistry when Texas A&M comes to the PMAC at 6 p.m. on Wednesday for a showdown.