It’s time for LSU to try again.
The Tigers (7-16, 2-10 Southeastern Conference) are once again presented with an opportunity to boost team morale and earn their first home-court win of the season when LSU hosts Georgia (13-12, 1-11 SEC) at 7 p.m. and Mississippi State (12-15, 4-9 SEC) at 1 p.m. today and Sunday, respectively.
This will mark the second time LSU and Georgia have met this year, as the Tigers swept Georgia in straight sets on Oct. 9.
Although LSU defeated Georgia the first time around, the Tigers know the importance of not taking opponents lightly.
“Georgia has really improved since we’ve played them in early October,” sophomore outside hitter Toni Rodriguez said. “They’ve been driving serves and putting a lot of offensive pressure on their opponents recently.”
The return of junior outside hitter Amanda Dachs has served a key role in Georgia’s improved play.
Dachs had a limited role against LSU earlier this season because of a knee injury, but the Tigers expect to see her at full health Friday night.
“She adds firepower to the offense, and she has the ability to put balls away,” LSU coach Fran Flory said.
LSU will have a quick turnaround between its Friday and Sunday matches.
Although this will be the first time LSU and Mississippi State meet on the volleyball court this year, the Tigers feel they will be well-prepared for the match.
“[Mississippi] State will be a really good challenge for us,” Rodriguez said. “After watching film, we feel like we stack up well against [Mississippi] State, but we have to play consistently.
“Consistency has been a problem for us all year,” she added. “We have to play with the same level of intensity from the first to the last set.”
LSU only has six games remaining this season, and the team feels as though wins against Georgia and Mississippi State in the PMAC are crucial if the Tigers want to finish strong.
“Playing well this weekend would put us on track to finishing this season on a strong note,” senior middle blocker Tiara Gibson said. “That’s our goal for these last six matches— play hard and finish strong.”