LSU’s volleyball team is riding a wave of confidence after two wins last weekend against Georgia, 3-2, on Nov. 11 and Mississippi State, 3-0, on Nov. 13 in the PMAC.
Prior to last weekend’s sweep, the Tigers (9-16, 4-10 Southeastern Conference) were stuck in a six-game losing streak and had yet to win a game in the friendly confines of the PMAC, an arena in which they were 0-11 prior to Friday.
“We’ve been working really hard to get over the hump, and it feels great to get back into the win column again,” said junior defensive specialist Kelly Quinn.
Much of LSU’s woes at home were a product of unforced errors and a lack of offensive tempo.
Those became issues of the past last weekend as the Tigers recorded attack percentages of .249 and .340 and only suffered from 31 errors through eight total sets.
“We went back to instinctive volleyball, and that’s a big reason we were able to have success last weekend,” said LSU coach Fran Flory. “We didn’t overthink things, and we let the game come to us.”
Tigers return to the road
LSU hopes to build on its late-season momentum as the team prepares to play at Kentucky on Nov. 18, at Tennessee on Nov. 20 and at Texas A&M on Nov. 23.
Out of those three teams, LSU has only played Texas A&M this season, but the Tigers say that will not affect how they prepare for their road trip.
“We don’t really want to overanalyze our opponents because that’s been a problem for us this season,” Quinn said. “The best thing for us to do right now is keep our focus on what we need to improve on.”
Flory has also emphasized to the team the importance of staying healthy for long road trips like the one LSU is about to embark on.
“Coach told us to make smart decisions this week and get a lot of rest,” said junior setter Cheyenne Wood. “We have to make sure we are taking care of our bodies so that we are able to play our best at the tail end of the season.”
Flory excited about latest recruiting class
On Nov. 9, Taylor Bannister, Raigen Cianciulli and Nicole Decker signed National Letters of Intent to play for LSU next season.
Bannister is listed as the No. 13-ranked prospect on prepvolleyball.com, and the coaching staff is thrilled to add her to the program.
“Taylor [Bannister] is one of the best players we’ve signed in a long time,” Flory said. “She reminds us a lot of Brittnee Cooper, and we feel that she has the talent to be just as good.
“We’re really anxious to get Raigen [Cianciulli] and Nicole [Decker] into the practice gym,” Flory added. “With a little development, they will both be able to see significant playing time next year.”
