The Tigers begin some SEC action this Friday.
LSU will play Georgia and South Carolina on the road this weekend in its first SEC matchup of the season. The SEC motto, “it just means more,” has never been more true.
Even though the competition only gets tougher from here, the Tigers hope to pull through wins.
“I think mentally, in a way, you’ve played these teams every year since you’ve been on the team in college,” senior setter Lindsay Flory said. “Just seeing them again and again, we all know how each other plays and what each team’s system is.
“I think it’s just really fun to go out and just use the knowledge you’ve gathered your whole career here and play against each other, play the same people you’ve seen for four years and just get to keep that competitiveness going. It’s just SEC play in your conference, and it just means more. It’s just a big part of your success in post season and everything. [Everyone’s] trying to win an SEC championship.”
The Tigers are coming off of a three-game winning streak, still with a season record of 5-6. Last weekend at the SMU Doubletree Classic, LSU had four players break personal records, had a player named SEC Offensive Player of the Week and finally pulled out some wins they’ve been waiting for.
These next two games give LSU a chance to really show what they have to offer in the one of the toughest conferences. Yet again, the Tigers are on the road in what LSU coach Fran Flory said is a hostile environment. They prepare to face Georgia Friday in Athens, then South Carolina Sunday in Columbia.
“You know, Georgia has changed the venue that they’re playing in — they’re playing in a bigger arena, and we haven’t played there in a year,” coach Flory said. “South Carolina has always got a great fan base and some really loyal fans that have been there as long as I’ve been coaching. It’s always a tough place with their bands and all of that, but both places are great home court advantages for them, just as our home court, the PMAC, is a home court advantage for us.”
SEC games take more preparation than typical non-conference opponents. Flory described the team’s preparation as “game plan oriented.” Teams go into these games with a better understanding of their opponents, as they face them year after year.
After playing these teams for so long, it’s easier to see systematic patterns and know the best players. Facing LSU, many teams will be looking into sophomore outside hitter Taylor Bannister and how she controls LSU’s offense.
Bannister has been the team leader in kills all season. However, Bannister is not intimidated by the expectations. She’s only focused on her game and her team. Bannister has a technical brain when it comes to volleyball and always prepares games in advance.
“I think what really helped last week was me reaching out at a higher point to hit the balls,” Bannister said. “Practice has been going really well this week so, I think we’re going to have a really good weekend.”
