LSU’s volleyball team defeated Tennessee in the PMAC, 3-1 (22-25, 25-18, 25-20, 25-23), to record its first SEC victory of the year Friday. LSU coach Fran Flory called the match vital at a Monday press conference, and she echoed that after the match.  ”We had to win this match,” she said. “For our goals for the remainder of the season, this was a must win.” Flory also said the home crowd was a huge factor in the Tigers’ victory. The first set was back-and-forth and ended in favor of the Lady Vols. Flory said the team did a better job of controlling the first set than they did last weekend, but she was still not pleased with her team’s first set play. ”For whatever reason, this team wants to come out and size up their opponent instead of coming out and setting the tempo ourselves,” Flory said. “We took a step up, but we certainly are not at the level where we are controlling the match from the outset.” The remainder of the match went in favor of the Tigers, as they took the final three sets. Flory said the team implemented a true defensive scheme in the match for the first time this season. She said the defense was key to the outcome of the match. ”We did a nice job of channeling the ball into our defense,” she said. “We had a lot of nice transitions out of our defense.” Senior libero Elena Martinez collected 22 digs in the match, including 10 in the first set. Junior setter Samantha Dabbs finished the match with a season-high 53 assists and 12 digs to record her fourth double-double of the season. The Tigers return to action Sunday at 1:30 p.m. in the PMAC when they face Kentucky.    —-Contact Andy Schwehm at [email protected]