A game plan is an essential aspect of any sport. But during its 12-day stint in Europe, the LSU volleyball team played without one.
The Tigers toured through Croatia, Slovenia and Italy, competing against junior national teams and even some professional squads. With no prior knowledge of their opponents’ tactics, the Tigers were forced to adjust on the fly.
“When we go play SEC teams, we have scouted for weeks in advance, and we know everything about that team we could,” said sophomore outside hitter Katie Lindelow. “We went in not even speaking their language, let alone knowing how they were going to play against us.”
Head coach Fran Flory gave her players freedom in their personal schedule as well as on the court. Flory noted her team’s tendency to fall apart when game plans didn’t work out or when they started a game poorly, so the opportunity to adjust to the culture and play styles provided a learning experience.
“They learned that you can fight out of the bottom and regain composure and that this is a forgiving game in a lot of ways,” Flory said. “I don’t think we had that appreciation or the understanding how to do that prior to this trip.”
Senior middle blocker Desiree Elliott said one of the biggest challenges of playing overseas was the international ball and its deceitful movement. But Flory said the ball made serving an even bigger weapon and changed the game in terms of ball control.
Flory relished the opportunity for her team to gain valuable experience by facing different kinds of play styles.
“Typically, the European style of play is not a super physical one,” Flory said. “Those kids have a higher volleyball IQ than the typical kids here. They make play easy, they make the game simple and they execute on a very high level.”
Lindelow said building trust and strengthening the core of the relatively inexperienced team was the primary focus of the trip. Elliott agreed, pointing out the necessity of becoming comfortable with her teammates on the court heading into next season.
“There wasn’t any pressure,” Lindelow said. “We really didn’t have fans watching us. It was just us playing against girls who love to play too.”
The team didn’t prioritize recording stats or keeping count of wins and losses.
This was the first time Flory has made the international rounds. The NCAA allows programs to take a European tour every four years, and Flory said she plans to go back overseas.
“There are nothing but positives that come out of us taking a trip like that,” Flory said. “…It’s certainly something that I will look to do in the future.”
