As the Tigers push forward into the Southeastern Conference schedule, they leave a two-loss weekend in their wake.
LSU (7-3) won its first match of the Western Kentucky University tournament by sweeping Wake Forest (25-13, 25-17, 25-13) Friday, but it couldn’t find another victory in the tournament.
“As a young team, it’s hard to stay focused,” said senior defensive specialist Lauren Waclawczyk. “[The tournament] was something that’s not the SEC, but I think we can definitely stay focused and just get confidence.”
Xavier (6-3) put an end to LSU’s run of 16 consecutive wins in the month of September, putting the match away in the fifth and final set. The Tigers persevered in the fourth set with a six-point comeback, taking the second and fourth sets, but couldn’t finish the job.
Senior middle blocker Michele Williams and sophomore middle blocker Desiree Elliott combined for 30 of LSU’s 60 kills in the loss to Xavier.
Western Kentucky (9-1) didn’t make the weekend any easier for the Tigers. The Hilltoppers took the first, third and fourth sets Saturday and handed the Tigers their second-straight defeat (25-20, 22-25, 25-22, 25-22). This is the first time LSU has lost two consecutive matches since 2008.
Elliott powered home 17 kills in the match, and Williams racked up 15 kills and a career-high nine blocks.
Flory liked the performance from her middle players in the tournament, citing specifically the contributions from Williams, whose performance in the tournament earned her a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
“Michele carried a huge load for us offensively and defensively,” Flory said. “She took big swings when we needed her