By Ryan Rogers
LSUsports.net
At the end of last season, the LSU volleyball team made a surprising run in the Southeastern Conference Tournament, advancing to the final. The Lady Tigers, seeded seventh in the eight-team tournament, were defeated by 10-time defending SEC Champion Florida in the finals. It was the first time LSU had advanced to the tournament final since 1992, and a much-needed breakthrough for the program.
“We turned the corner last year at the SEC tournament. I think that was the turning point in having the confidence to be successful. Ever since then we have set a trend that we will overachieve.”
The late season success gave Coach Fran Flory and her team optimism heading into the 2001 season. The addition of a few key players elevated the team’s work ethic and as a result the Lady Tigers had one of their best offseasons in years.
“Coming into the season, I think everyone expected us to be good. The hard work in the spring and the offseason workouts have really benefited us.”
LSU is 12-7, 7-3 in the SEC, this year with an opportunity to win the SEC West trailing Arkansas by only two games. A six-game winning streak and a defining win over Tennessee in Knoxville has made this season special so far for the Lady Tigers.
“We’re very happy about where we are. Since we’ve been here this is the first time we are in a position to win the conference with just a few matches remaining. That’s something that we’ve worked so hard to achieve,” said head coach Fran Flory.
LSU has a proud volleyball tradition that not many people realize. Between 1985 and 1992, LSU volleyball was basking in a golden era. The Tigers dominated the SEC with a 240-59 (66-8) record. LSU recorded a .892 winning percentage in the conference and an .802 overall winning percentage. During this era the Tigers won five SEC Championships and never finished lower than second place.
The Lady Tigers were the first SEC team to reach the NCAA Volleyball Final Four, making appearances in 1990 and 1991. The 1991 team remains the only SEC team to win a set in the Final Four, beating Long Beach State 15-6 in the second set before losing the match 3-1.
LSU boasted a 37-game home-winning streak between 1985 and 1987 which ranks second all-time in the SEC behind Florida’s 58-match home-winning streak from 1990-94.
These records and accomplishments were and still are unprecedented.
In recent years the Lady Tigers have battled mediocrity. LSU finished last season 15-17 (6-9). Finishing just under .500 left the players and coaches hungry for more success. This year’s team is looking to put past years behind them and begin a new volleyball tradition at LSU.
As any coach will tell you, coaches only guide turnarounds, players have to perform in order to be successful. This year Coach Flory has had a number of player step up for her.
Junior Setter Katie Kubena has led the charge of improved players on the 2001 squad. Kubena leads the team with 729 assists. She averages 11.76 assist per game. Kubena has also done her share of hard work on defense with 137 digs.
“Originally we were a little frustrated with the amount of volleyball time she put in the summer. Many players played in summer leagues and she chose not to do that. But I think it ultimately benefited her. She came into the season with a great attitude and she didn’t burn out. She was fresh and ready to go.”
With Kubena’s solid play, it adds another weapon to LSU’s arsenal and she has grabbed the attention of SEC foes.
“She has done a wonderful job running our offense. Teams have to prepare for Katie now, and that’s something we haven’t had for a while, a setter that is dangerous to opponents.”
Feisty defensive specialist Jenny Greco continues to fill a valuable role for the Lady Tigers. Greco is second on the team in digs with 185. Notorious for her diehard attitude, Greco has been a welcomed gift to LSU’s squad.
“She has become a huge contributor to our team. She came to us a s a walk on, but now we have awarded her a scholarship. She is now top ten in the conference in digs which is remarkable for a former walk on.”
Speaking of defensive stars, Jennifer Hampton has always led the Lady Tiger defense with her dazzling play. She leads the team with 202 digs. This year, she has added to her repertoire an offensive game that has paid dividends for the Lady Tigers. Hampton leads the Tigers in kills in 2001 with 199.
“She has always been a factor defensively, but this year she has become a factor offensively. That has helped us a lot. I can’t say enough about the way she’s been a leader on the team.”
Finally, senior right side hitter Meghan Bedford has taken over the reigns on offense. Bedford is among leaders on the team in kills with 180 and digs with 147.
“The steadying factor in our team has been Meagan. She has developed a ton of power with her shots. She can be an option regardless of where she is on the court.”
With the success the team is having, Coach Flory appreciates the loyalty of the senior class. The group chose to come to LSU and play for Flory while the program was down. It takes a courageous athlete to step into a situation like that and be determined to help rebuild the program.
“The senior class walked into the program blind in the hope that we would turn things around. Now we have become a force in the conference. It’s been a long time coming and we are happy to reap the benefits.”
One factor that has contributed to the volleyball team’s success is the switch to rally-scoring this season. The rally-scoring system means that teams play matches up to 30 points rather than 15. In addition, teams don’t have to be serving to score a point. Teams are awarded points for side outs as well. This has picked up the pace of the game and made it more fan-friendly. However, not everyone was convinced that the new system was good for volleyball including Coach Flory whom was very skeptical about the change.
“I am a big traditionalist, so I was against the rally-scoring system initially. However, we have benefited very much from it because we’re such a good side-out team. We all still learning how to coach it, how to play it and how to manage it. The fans really like the rally-scoring system. It makes a match more exciting to watch.”
With five matches remaining in the season before the SEC tournament, LSU is in great shape to make a run at a conference title. SEC East giant Florida doesn’t intimidate the Lady Tigers anymore. Despite losing to the No. 9 Gators, LSU played very well and pushed Florida tot the limit losing: 27-30, 26-30 and 21-30.
“I do like our chances to finish very high in the SEC. I think the Florida match showed us that we could play well. They are the No. 9 team in the country and we had them on the ropes. I think it will come down to the last two weekends and that’s all you can ask for as a coach.”
The long-term state of the LSU Volleyball program looks very bright. With the continued success, Coach Flory and her staff may be on their way to elevating LSU to a dominant force in the SEC once again.
“The days of us struggling with every opponent are over. It use to be that we could sit our starters and still win a match with all the success LSU had in the late 80’s and early 90’s. We haven’t been able to win conference games, but we have won non-conference games that way this year and I think that’s a good sign.”
Knowing there is still a lot of work of ahead of them, Coach Flory and her staff are not ready to call this season a success just yet.
“I think this is a huge step for us. But the key is how we finish. Regardless of where we finish, we need to prove that we can play well and be a dominant team for the remainder of the season. If we can do that than big things may lie in our future.”