The LSU volleyball team is back in full swing following its opening weekend of the season. It featured three matches, going up against SMU, South Alabama and Baylor.
The Tigers challenged its opponents in many ways but fell just short, going 1-2 to start the season.
Game One – SMU
The season opener took place Friday night at the PMAC, and the Tigers were hoping to make a statement against No. 10 SMU to start the season off.
It was a nail-biter to the very end, but unfortunately, the Tigers dropped the ball, giving the win to SMU. The Ponies took the win 25-20, 20-25, 23-25, 25-16, 15-12.
For LSU, junior outside hitter Jurnee Robinson made a statement with 25 kills, and transfer Nia Washington was right behind her with 13.
In this game, Robinson recorded her 12th career 20-kill double-double. Last year, she was the leading star on the team, and she’s shown that she isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
Washington, a senior coming from Ole Miss, showed exactly why she’s at LSU. In addition to the 13 kills, she also had 18 digs and two aces to cap off her first double-double as a Tiger. Pairing her with Robinson on the court, this power duo will come in handy for LSU this season.
As powerful as LSU was on offense, SMU was just too much for the Tigers. SMU freshman outside hitter Christa Wilburn racked up seven aces, breaking a program record in the rally-scoring era.
Even though the season opener didn’t end in favor of the Tigers, there was a strong effort put up until the very last set. LSU showed offensive resilience even when it was falling behind, showing there was no giving up on the match.
Game Two – South Alabama
After falling short to SMU the night before, head coach Tonya Johnson put her team back on the court Saturday night in hopes of a redemption win over South Alabama.
The Tigers did just that, sweeping the Jaguars and hitting at a .323 clip with 45 kills. They also served up six aces to throw off South Alabama’s offense, taking the match 25-21, 25-21, 25-15.
On the other side of the net, South Alabama was kept to a .089 clip and only 26 kills. LSU was able to wrap it up quick over the Jaguars to move to a 1-1 record.
During this match, Washington came in yet again and delivered a masterclass performance with 16 out of the 45 kills belonging to her, claiming another double-double.
In the first set, the Tigers were trailing 6-0 but worked their way back and even went on a 9-0 run of their own to bounce back and take the set with a score of 25-21.
After falling short the day before, there was a showing of defensive control and efficiency in the offense to keep bouncing back, highlighted by Washington’s .414 hitting percentage. The Tigers also served tough, including an ace from freshman setter Takyla Brown who contributed with 12 assists and one ace.
This performance was much more promising for the season ahead, especially if this level of play can be maintained. As long as this team can keep up with the smart plays that were showcased in this second game, it’s going to be a bright season.
Game Three – Baylor
The Tigers were looking to claim a back to back win, but the No. 20 Baylor Bears knocked down LSU 25-20, 23-25, 25-20, 25-23.
This four-set match was a dog fight till the end with all the scores at the end of each set being within five points. But, there just wasn’t a way to hold off the Bears as they hit .287 to LSU’s .229. Baylor also finished with 10 blocks to LSU’s five.
In set one, LSU was fighting from the beginning to comeback from an early lead Baylor grabbed. The Tigers weren’t able to cut the lead down by more than two and let it get away from them.
Baylor’s standout players were middle blocker Manuela Bibinbe with 17 kills and opposite hitter Grace Carroll with 14 kills. The duo showcased strong skills at the net to hold off LSU for the entire match.
Overall, this third match of the weekend seemed to get away from the Tigers and they weren’t able to come back after Baylor took early leads.
Although it wasn’t a win, this still showcased another strong outing against a ranked opponent for LSU. Strong fire power showed on both sides of the net, but Baylor’s efficiency just held off the Tigers.
What this means going forward
Despite finishing with a 1-2 record this weekend, the Tigers have taken a step up from last season. Robinson said the team pushing the No. 10 team to five sets shows that improvement.
“I think last year we would’ve fumbled and lost in three, but this year we came back,” Robinson said to TigerTV.
Two players to continue to keep a lookout for are Robinson and Washington. They will be key in this team’s offense as the season goes on. Washington said “making adjustments sooner and coming out with a fire from the start” is the focus moving forward in order for this team to achieve success.
On one hand of starting with a 1-2 record, it could go either way the first being signs of needed improvement whether it’s offensive prowess or defense fire power some things need to be tweaked for the upcoming weekend and into conference play.
But on the other hand, it doesn’t mean a disappointing weekend. Rough days happen and nonconference teams are meant to be the test of what will happen when it comes to post season play.
Either way, a 1-2 start shows it’s going to be a toss up as the season progresses. We’ll see what Johnson will bring to the court next when the team travels to the Lone Star State to play some tough opponents: Omaha, San Diego State and Houston.
