The LSU volleyball team puts its undefeated Southeastern Conference record on the line tonight against an aggressive Tennessee squad.
Fresh off Sunday’s 3-0 shutout victory against Mississippi State, the unranked Tigers are looking for similar results again this weekend against No. 23 Tennessee.
The Volunteers notched an impressive 3-2 win against No. 6 Florida on Sunday.
Coach Fran Flory credited Tennessee’s depth and fierce attack around the net for its success so far this season.
“They’re the most talented team in the league,” Flory said.
“They are a fearless, young team that goes out and plays with a lot of aggression.”
The Tigers need to increase defensive play and organize their offense around the net in order to leave tonight’s match with a 4-0 record in the SEC, Flory said.
Senior middle blocker Michele Williams said the team’s front row will need to thrive in order to defeat the Volunteers.
Junior outside hitter Madie Jones described Tennessee as an aggressive squad as well, but said the Tigers can match the Volunteers’ intensity.
“They’re a really physical team, but we’re very competitive. We’ll fight back,” Jones said.
Last week’s win against Mississippi State marked the sixth straight match in which Jones recorded 10 or more kills. She attributes her recent numbers to her teammates.
“The reason I’ve been able to have so many kills is because the middle has been very stacked,” Jones said.
Jones and Williams both said there’s room for growth in the LSU squad, which has only three juniors and two seniors on the 16-player roster.
Tennessee faces the same situation. The young team has three juniors and two seniors on its roster as well. Jones said that despite their youth, however, the Volunteers still manage to perform like a veteran team.
Flory said Tennessee is good enough to beat anyone, so a total team effort will be necessary for a Tiger victory.
Tonight is a student Priority Point game as well as the annual Tigers’ “Gold Game.” Students attending will also get the chance to win two tickets to Saturday’s football game against Kentucky.
 
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