BATON ROUGE — The LSU volleyball team will play host to Kentucky on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. in the Maravich Assembly Center for the third of five home matches to start the Southeastern Conference schedule.
The Tigers (5-9, 0-2 SEC) lost to South Carolina, which is receiving votes in the AVCA/USA Today Coaches poll, 3-0, on Friday night. The Wildcats were 3-1 losers to Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark., on Friday night and stand at 8-5 overall and 0-1 in the SEC.
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“We will need to use our ball control and our defense and have people step up offensively to be effective,” said LSU head coach Fran Flory. “We need to make smart choices and be more efficient offensively and take advantage of our opportunities.
“I think that we are close to making a break through this season. We have played some quality opponents which has give us some great experience and now we need to take advantage that.”
Junior Regan Hood leads the SEC with 4.88 kills per game. Against South Carolina on Friday, she recorded a team-best 16 kills and 12 digs for her fourth double-double of the season. The Carrollton, Texas, native also leads the team in block solos and ranks second in total blocks.
Kassi Mikulik and Christie Ruttley each recorded 10 digs against the Gamecocks on Friday, marking a career-best for Ruttley. Melody Clark led the Tigers with three blocks, while Beth Cowley had a team-best 34 assists.
Against Kentucky, LSU trails the all-time series 15-21. The Tigers are 4-7 against the Wildcats at home, 5-8 in Lexington, Ky., and the series is tied at six at neutral sites. After winning two straight, LSU has lost back-to-back matches to Kentucky.
The Tigers will remain at home in conference play next weekend as LSU plays host to Auburn on Friday at 7 p.m. and Alabama on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. to conclude the five-match home stand.