It is midseason and the LSU volleyball team is in the middle of the pack in the Southeastern Conference, looking to push its way past Florida, South Carolina, Arkansas and Alabama to the top of the SEC.
“We’ve shown signs of an awesome team, but we’ve failed to be consistently good,” said junior setter Beth Cowley. “We’ve delt with adversity, but now is the time to step it up.”
The Tigers (7-9) are 2-3 in the conference after defeating conference foes Kentucky and Auburn.
After losing to Alabama last weekend, the Tigers rank No. 3 among the six teams in the Western Division of the SEC.
“I don’t think we went up against a team that was really superior to us, although give credit to Alabama because they outplayed us, but we made mental errors and silly mistakes that gave them the game,” said LSU coach Fran Flory after Sunday’s loss to Alabama.
Despite the lack of experience and constant injuries the team has faced throughout the season, the players and coaches feel the team has a chance to finish well.
“In the back of everybody’s minds, it’s ‘we’re going to be dynamite next year’, but you really have to focus on this year and what’s coming,” said sophomore Megan Heinz.
Heinz and Cowley feel their team has the ability to win games. Both said they are waiting for the team to put everything together.
“We’re waiting for that point where it just clicks,” Heinz said.
LSU assistant coach Danijela Tomic said you cannot replace experience. However, her job as a coach is to keep the team focused on this season.
“We have to keep them focused on what we’re doing now,” Tomic said. “If you look to the future you miss things.”
Florida (15-1) is undefeated in the conference with a 4-0 record to top the SEC Eastern Division. Just behind Florida sits the Gamecocks, despite having a 9-7 overall record. South Carolina pulled out second place in the division because of its 3-1 conference record.
LSU dropped its second conference match to the Gamecocks Sept. 26 in a 3-0 match.
Arkansas tops the SEC Western Division with a 12-4 record overall. The Razorbacks are undefeated in the SEC, including their 3-1 win against the Tigers.
The SEC Player of the Week is Arkansas’ Sara Kincaid. LSU coach Fran Flory said it takes a team effort to stop Kincaid. She hit .500 against South Carolina, recording 15 kills and seven blocks in the match. Kincaid boosts a kill average of 17.57 per match.
Kincaid’s efforts have helped Arkansas to a five game winning streak.
Alabama is No. 2 in the Western Division. The Crimson Tide is 2-2 in conference play with a 7-8 record overall.
This weekend the Tigers face Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Ole Miss is 1-3 in the conference and 2-15 overall, while Mississippi State is winless in the SEC and 2-15 overall.
At practice Tuesday, Coach Flory stressed the importance of not getting distracted by the sub-par records of the two teams. Heinz said the Tigers will have to play the Rebels and the Bulldogs as if they are one of the top teams in the conference.
“You have to think that you’re going out and playing Florida,” Heinz said.
However, Heinz is confident that if the Tigers play like they have been, they will be able to pull out wins from both teams.