Keeping true to her surname, LSU freshman middle blocker Khourtni Fears gives opponents a reason to be afraid.
Fears has stormed out of the gate to begin her collegiate career, leading the Tigers and ranking third in the Southeastern Conference with 1.21 blocks per set.
This comes as no surprise to LSU coach Fran Flory, who said her natural blocking ability became evident early in her career at Bellaire High School in Houston, Texas.
“She’s going to be one of those special players,” Flory said. “These athletes don’t come around all the time and certainly not very often.”
Flory went on to compare Fears to former LSU standout and First-Team All-American Brittnee Cooper.
Cooper was a force at the middle blocker position in her time at LSU, picking up 1.37 blocks per set her senior season in 2009.
“I don’t know that she’ll have the accolades and career that Brittnee Cooper did, but she certainly has the ability to play that high,” Flory said. “Hopefully, she’ll continue to progress as a player and have that type of impact on our program.”
Blocking has been a weak point for LSU since Cooper’s graduation, but due to the recent play of Fears and junior middle blocker Desiree Elliott, the Tigers are picking up 2.33 blocks per set, up from 2.07 in 2011.
Much of this improvement can be attributed to the addition of assistant coach Sam Ojie. Players and coaches agree that, since his arrival, blocking has gained a new level of importance in practice. Players are not just learning how to block well, but also how to love blocking.
“When I came here, I was a blocking girl, but I was not in love with blocking and did not block like I do here,” Fears said about Ojie. “He’s taught everything about blocking and how to love it.”
Aside from her blocking ability, Fears also elevates her teammates’ play with her mental toughness and approach to the game.
Coach Flory attributed much of Fears’ success this season to her ability to take criticism and use it as a challenge to become a better player.
For Elliott, there is a noticeable increase in energy every time Fears takes the court.
“She’s a lot of fun,” Elliott said. “She always brings a positive, feisty, competitive attitude when she steps on the court, and we love it.”
Despite her early success, Fears will be the first to say she has a lot of work to do. She made it clear she is always looking to get better, citing a sharpened connection with setters Malorie Pardo and Jaclynn Gerig as her primary need for improvement.
Fears will look to continue her success this weekend when the Tigers finally play their first games at home against Kentucky and Missouri.
“The fact that we have home court is amazing,” Fears said. “I can’t wait to show our fans what we’re actually capable of.”
More specifically, what she is capable of.
