LSU (14-7, 7-4) travels to Arkansas (14-8, 6-5) today for a crucial road test against a Razorback team trailing the Southeastern Conference Western Division-leading Tigers by one game.
LSU has a 14-22 record against the Razorbacks all-time, but the Tigers have won the last 11 meetings. In 17 road matches against Arkansas, the Tigers are 7-10.
“Arkansas will be very ready for us. That’s another SEC West match and an extremely difficult place for us to play,” said LSU coach Fran Flory. “We’ve kind of been up and down in Barnhill Arena over the years. We’re going to have to be very balanced and do a great job of recovering mentally and emotionally as much as physically.”
LSU is coming off a tough five-set home loss to Ole Miss, which is only the fourth home loss to a Western opponent in 56 matches. Three of those losses, however, have been to the Rebels.
“Any loss makes it much more difficult for us to have a chance to be playing in December,” Flory said. “We have to take care of the matches on our home court, and certainly we preach it all the time.”
For the second-straight week, freshman setter Malorie Pardo picked up the SEC Freshman of the Week award, the third time she won the honor this season. She joins former LSU All-Americans Marina Skender and Lauren DeGirolamo, as well as current teammate Desiree Elliott, as the only players in program history to win the award three times.
Pardo now leads the SEC in assists per set after posting 47 assists against Alabama, which ties the SEC high for a three-set match, and a career high 60-assist match in the loss to Ole Miss.
Pardo’s numbers have also helped push LSU to No. 3 in the SEC in assists. She helped five hitters reach double-digit kills against the Rebels, the first time an LSU player has achieved the feat since 2006.
Arkansas also comes in with a weekly conference award winner in freshman libero Christa Alvarez, who won SEC Defensive Player of the Week.
Alvarez notched 36 digs in two matches, which helped the Razorbacks hold Alabama to a .121 hitting percentage, a full .056 better than their season average.
LSU will be looking for the crucial win with the season heading into the final stretch. The Tigers have nine games left before the end of the regular season, including only three home games.
 
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Contact Michael Gegenheimer at [email protected]