LSU volleyball took on No. 3 Kentucky at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Sunday afternoon, dropping all three sets 22-25, 18-25, 23-25.
However, this unfortunate sweep wasn’t anguish for the Tigers. It was a building opportunity.
LSU has made it clear that it exhibits the ability to compete against ranked teams under pressure. The Tigers believe that they should be ranked, too, which is something outside hitter Jurnee Robinson said after the team’s upset against then-ranked No. 23 Florida — LSU’s first win against a ranked team since 2022.
Head coach Tonya Johnson knows her team is resilient and has expressed that all season long. While LSU has been deemed the underdog in numerous matches and has proved to the nation many times that it can compete, the Tigers were unable to take this one from the Wildcats. The team still showed up with grit and determination, Johnson said.
“I love the way we competed against the No. 3 team in the country. We have nothing to hang our head about,” Johnson said. “Can we build on this and continue to get better as the season progresses is what’s most important.”
Despite dropping the first set of the match, the Tigers were able to take an early 4-1 lead against the No. 3 team in the country. LSU rallied and led 15-14 in the set heading into the official media timeout.
The Wildcats were unnerved to begin, but were able to bounce back and take the first set 25-22.
In the second set, Kentucky looked like the team the nation knew it to be, continuously taking advantage of opportunities over the Tigers. The Wildcats eventually closed the set 25-18.
Senior outside hitter Nia Washington’s absence in the starting lineup didn’t go unnoticed by fans, this being the second match in a row that she wasn’t in the lineup. Johnson said Washington was simply unavailable.
With Washington’s absence, other players had to step up.
Robinson led the team with a match-high 20 kills. She now has 1,172 kills in her career, tied for No. 5 all-time in program history.
From an offensive standpoint, middle blocker Jessica Jones chipped in seven kills while fellow middle Angelina Lee tallied three. Right-side Ana Tevdoradze added two kills along with a service ace.
Defensively, the Tigers produced big time. Robinson totaled seven digs and one block, Jones added five more blocks, Lee had four blocks and Tevdoradze tied her career-best four blocks. In the back row, setter Lauren Brooker put up nine digs and two blocks while defensive specialist Aly Kirkhoff finished with 10 digs.
The Tigers dropped the third set 22-25, but they ultimately showcased the growth and improvement they’ve trained for lately, especially defensively. Johnson was extremely proud of her team’s blocking, she said, which contributed to LSU limiting Kentucky to a .211 attack percentage throughout the match.
Although a loss for LSU, the team held its head high and were excited to have the opportunity to play its best volleyball against a well-trained team like the Wildcats.
“These are all moments you dream of when you’re a little girl and you’re just starting a sport, so it’s such a privilege to be able to play in a great conference like the SEC,” Jones said. “It’s just a fun time to play those big-ranked teams and compete against them.”
