BATON ROUGE — The 2004 LSU volleyball team will welcome 16 players, including eight newcomers and eight returning letterwinners, to campus on Wednesday in preparation for the upcoming season.
Among the eight returning letterwinners are 2003 second-team All-Southeastern Conference selection Regan Hood and Louisiana Freshman of the Year and All-SEC Freshman team Lauren Leaumont.
The eight newcomers including junior transfer Ivana Kuzmic, who led the NCAA in blocking as a freshman at Arkansas-Little Rock, and Heather Fierce, who was a member of the 2001 Junior Olympic team.
The team will be issued equipment and go through team meetings on Wednesday before beginning their first practices on Thursday.
Playing with nine freshmen last season, the Tigers finished third in the SEC Western Division with an 11-19 record. LSU’s tough 2003 record also featured six teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament and three ranked in the top 10.
Included in the Tigers’ 28-match schedule this year are two teams that won their conferences and recorded 20 wins last season, Liberty and Central Florida; one that finished with 20 wins, IPFW; and one that finished with 19 wins and finished second in its conference, Stephen F. Austin. Texas also posted a winning record last season and is receiving votes in the preseason top 25 poll.
The Tigers begin play on Sept. 3 in Orlando, Fla., in the UCF Fall Invitational against Central Florida at 6 p.m. (CT). LSU will open its 12-match home schedule on Sept. 17 against New Orleans at 7 p.m. in the Tiger Classic.