Amid parents and a couple of young girls, the LSU volleyball team set out on an epic journey from youth and inexperience to confidence and aggressiveness.
Sunday afternoon, the Tigers’ first SEC win couldn’t have been more of a thriller.
It went down to the wire – a fifth game. The fifth game is like an overtime in volleyball because the two teams play until somebody wins three.
After losing to Arkansas last week and South Carolina last Friday, who would have known the Lady Tigers would have brought such an aggressive and determined young team to the court?
Coach Fran Flory said this year her team was going to take some knocks and give some too. Looks like they are on their way to giving more than they’ve been taking.
With only three juniors and a sophomore to depend on, Flory has had to try out new talent in hopes of finding the right girls to fill in. She’s also wondered what to do with the three veterans. This year has been like a soap opera for the team.
Beth Cowley, who was expected to be the starting setter, injured her wrist last spring and had to have surgery. Flory recruited Daniela Romero to step in at the setter position. Then Romero got a lower leg injury leaving the team in a bind.
I have only begun to understand the importance of the setter. I have seen it compared to the quarterback position because the setter has to direct the offensive game.
So, Flory begins transitioning defensive specialist junior Rachel Pittman from the defense to the offense, which Pittman said is very difficult to adjust to. Junior Blaise DeRouen and sophomore Cara Causey were missing from last night’s roster and Causey, a usual starter, had to be replaced by a freshman.
Flory threw out the previous lineup and mixed and matched to form a twisted lineup that worked. Flory moved Pittman out of her defensive position into a position where she could serve.
It was an excellent decision, as Pittman scored a couple of service aces or serves that cannot be returned. Flory also went out on a limb and played both setters, who are both well enough to play now, at the same time.
However, one of the big stories of the year could be this little known volleyball team that won’t give up. This is the second match this season the Lady Tigers have pushed into a fifth game.
I’m not saying these girls are going to win an SEC title. It’s still obvious their inexperience gets the best of them sometimes with errors at inopportune times.
But when redshirt freshman Markeisha Constant, who has seen limited action this season, came in and scored over 18 points, I knew there was something great going on.
It’ll be a bumpy road for these girls, but if what I saw yesterday was any inclination of what could be to come, they could at least give some good teams a run for their money.