FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The LSU volleyball team beat six-time defending Southeastern Conference Western Division champion Arkansas on Friday night, 15-5, 15-13, 15-13, for the first time in school history.
“This team came in with a great deal of confidence to a place we have never won before, so I think we are certainly moving forward,” said LSU coach Fran Flory.
The win improves LSU to 13-13 on the season and 6-8 in conference play. More importantly, the Tigers clinch a spot in the SEC Tournament, which fields the league’s top eight teams in Fayetteville, Ark., next weekend.
“This is a great win for us in a crucial part of the season,” Flory said. “For us to still be getting better and going forward is really important.”
The Tigers relied on middle blockers Lauren Cuyler and Meagan Davis as well as outside hitter Jennifer Hampton to carry them to victory. Cuyler had 13 kills and eight blocks in the game, both team highs, while Davis notched 11 kills en route to a match-high .556 attack percentage.
Sparked by Davis and Cuyler’s play at the net, LSU hit .231 on the match and posted 14 blocks, compared to only a .152 attack percentage for the LadyBacks and 11 blocks.
“Our offense was good. For a change we got in a really good rhythm. Our middles were a significant part of the match,” said Flory. “We did a great job of giving the ball to them when we needed to and their hitting percentages indicate that was a difference in the match.”
Hampton shined both offensively and defensively as she tied Cuyler for the team lead with 13 kills and added 17 digs.
“Jennifer Hampton did a nice job with 13 kills. We haven’t had a positive output from a left side for a while,” Flory added.
LSU was able to shut down the 1999 SEC Freshman of the Year and current SEC Player of the Week, Libby Windell. She managed 11 kills, but hit only .261 for the match and had just one block.
The Tigers fell into early hole in both games two and three that they had to rebound from. The LadyBacks opened up a 5-1 lead to begin the second game. However, LSU clawed back into the game point-by-point, eventually taking an 11-10 lead. After three ties and two lead changes, the Tigers would take the game when Windell was in the net on her attack.
Davis proved to be the difference in the game for LSU as she hit for eight kills on only 12 attempts and blocked back four balls. Hampton, the SEC leader in digs, had a stellar performance with nine in the game. Leading the LadyBacks was middle blocker Michelle Coens with nine kills and five blocks.
In game three, Arkansas again looked to climb back into the match as it opened up a 6-0 lead, which eventually turned into a 11-2 LadyBack advantage. With a never-say-die attitude, the Tigers rallied to take the game 15-13 with eight straight points on setter Katie Kubena’s serve.
“I think we weren’t going to be denied tonight. This is an approach I don’t think I have seen from this team,” said Flory of her team’s comeback efforts. “It is certainly something I have been waiting for them to have.”
LSU jumped all over the LadyBacks to start game one, taking a 8-1 lead. Arkansas was able to cut the lead to four at 9-5 before the Tigers ran off six unanswered points to put the game away. Cuyler dominated the game for LSU as she had five kills, compared to zero errors, in just 11 attempts. She added two blocks, helping the Tigers to their total of five in the game. Outside hitter Amanda Rudolph led Arkansas with three kills and five digs.