This weekend provided the perfect summation of the LSU volleyball team’s season.
It was another up-and-down go for the Tigers (12-14, 8-9 Southeastern Conference), as they defeated Georgia (13-13, 7-9 SEC) Friday, 3-1, on the back of true freshman right outside hitter Cati Leak before getting swept two days later by Missouri (18-9, 9-7 SEC). They’ve now gone 1-1 over the week seven times.
“I couldn’t tell you really why we didn’t show up to play,” said sophomore outside hitter Helen Boyle.
The Tigers opened Friday’s match exploiting Leak’s side of the court, which worked in her statistical favor on a career-best scale; her 16 kills and .484 hitting percentage was the best of her few months as a Tiger.
Leak also contributed 12 digs, along with five blocks, which made for Leak’s first double-double since the season’s opening weekend.
“The defense … gave [sophomore setter] Malorie [Pardo] position to put us in one-on-one situations, so definitely credit to them,” Leak said.
The team had been playing together like that recently, with Sunday’s loss snapping its longest winning streak of the season at three games. Boyle said the team’s mentality was different on Sunday but couldn’t put her finger on why that was.
“The disappointing thing I wish I could answer for them, even more than myself, is how we play like we played on Friday and then turn around and not play with … composure today,” said LSU coach Fran Flory.
Whatever the mentality of the collective team, Leak said her Missouri-bred teammate was excited to play to her home crowd.
Hailing from Eureka, Mo., about 115 miles west of Mizzou’s campus in Columbia, Boyle had 50 friends and family members watching. They chose Sunday to wear purple, rather than Mizzou black, to go along with their gold.
“It was new,” Boyle said of the familiar crowd. “I don’t usually have them to play in front of, but it was interesting.”
LSU notched a .103 hitting percentage with three team blocks and Missouri earned marks of .374 and 11.5, respectively. Sunday’s statistical script was flipped compared to Friday, when the Tigers outplayed Georgia to a .242 percentage and 19 blocks.
“It wasn’t the best,” Boyle said of her six-kill, four-error hitting performance. “It was a little shaky at the beginning, but we all didn’t play our best game.”
The Tigers will go on their final road trip of the year next weekend when they play at Florida and Tennessee before closing out the regular season against Arkansas on Nov. 21 at the PMAC.
‘It wasn’t the best. It was a little shaky in the beginning, but we all didn’t play our best game.’
