BATON ROUGE — The LSU volleyball team opens the 2003 season this weekend against Centenary, UAB and Virginia in the Tiger Classic at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
The two-day tournament begins on Friday at 10 a.m. as Virginia takes on UAB. At 12:30 p.m., LSU begins its season against Centenary. Action continues at 5 p.m. as Centenary battles UAB. The day’s play concludes with the Tigers taking on Virginia at 7 p.m.
On Saturday, Centenary plays Virginia at 11 a.m. before the tournament finishes with LSU hosting UAB at 1 p.m.
Admission to all tournament matches is free. Fans are encouraged to stop by the matches on Saturday prior to the LSU football season opener against UL-Monroe at 7 p.m.
“I think this tournament is a great way to start,” said LSU head coach Fran Flory. “Centenary has made a commitment to its volleyball program and will be a much better team than we have seen over the last few years. UAB is a solid, athletic team that is very explosive offensively. Virginia comes in with a point to prove and the ACC-SEC match-up is an important one. There is a lot on the line.”
The Tigers finished the 2002 season second in the Southeastern Conference Western Division and fourth overall with a 17-11 overall record and 9-7 mark in league play. LSU was picked to finish third in the West this season in the preseason poll of the league’s coaches.
Virginia comes in to the tournament after posting a 9-25 mark last season with a 2-14 record in the Atlantic Coast Conference, placing them eighth. UAB went 13-20 a year ago with a 5-8 league mark and a ninth place Conference USA ranking. Centenary posted a 13-30 record last season as an independent.
This will mark the third meeting between LSU and both Centenary and UAB. The Tigers are undefeated in those meetings. This is the second contest between LSU and Virginia with the Tigers holding the 1-0 series advantage.
Despite losing five seniors from last season and returning a squad without a senior, the Tigers will look to build upon their unity and team spirit as they once again battle for the SEC Western Division title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
With four returning juniors, a pair of sophomores, LSU be an exciting team to watch. With the addition of six talented true freshmen and two redshirt freshmen, the largest freshmen class since the 1993 season, the Tigers are a young and hungry team this season.
After the Tiger Classic, LSU travels to New Orleans for the Nokia Sugar Bowl Classic next weekend. There the Tigers will take on No. 7-ranked Nebraska, New Orleans and tournament host Tulane.