by Caroline Domecq and Melissa Reynaud
LSU Sports Information
Senior Regan Hood has played many roles on the court for the LSU volleyball team, but her most important role this season has been that of a leader.
When the 2004 season began in September, Hood lined up for the Tigers at middle blocker. The imposing 6-1 star joined with junior transfer Ivana Kuzmic to form one of the most imposing middle duos in the league.
As the season progressed, however, it became clear Hood’s presence was needed more on the outside as an offensive threat. So, 20 matches into the year, she made the move to outside hitter, where she has led LSU in kills in five of its final seven matches, averaging 4.19 kills per game.
It was Hood’s transition to the outside that has helped to spark a turnaround for the Tigers. After beginning the season at a promising 9-1, LSU slumped midway through the year, losing eight of its next 10 matches. With the lineup change in place, the Tigers posted five wins in their last seven matches, including only their third win over Arkansas in school history.
The development of Hood on the court has been a process that began when she joined the team as a true freshman in 2001. The Bishop Lynch alumnae played in 31 games in 18 matches in her first season and posted a team-best 1.39 blocks per game. As a sophomore, she saw time in all 28 LSU matches, leading the team in block solos, block assists and total blocks. She also ranked second on the team with 310 kills and a 3.01 kills per game average.
“Every year as an individual I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better,” Hood said. “Fundamentally, I’m pretty young in the game, so when I first started playing here I didn’t know a lot of things to do, like arm swing, for example. So I think coach Fran (Flory) really emphasized the small things and that’s how I got better.
“It also helped just watching others play,” she continued. “My freshman year when I didn’t play, I watched the players on the court, and that helped me get better as well.”
Hood broke through as a player in her junior season, a year in which she was named second-team All-SEC and first-team All-Louisiana selection. She became just the fourth LSU volleyball player in school history to lead the team in kills, blocks and hitting percentage in the same season with marks of 472, 111 and .239, respectively.
With the absence of any seniors during her junior year, Hood was selected a team captain, a title she retained in her senior season. With her dominating presence on the court, one might conclude that she is a commanding leader. However, Hood is a quite the opposite, she is a leader who prefers to let her actions and work ethic speak for themselves.
“I’m not really a vocal leader; I’m more of a leader by action,” she said. “I try to give everything every time I’m out on the court, and that’s my way of leading. I’m not a very vocal person in general, so for me, the best is just showing people how things are supposed to be done.”
As a senior, Hood leads the team in kills with 315, marking the third consecutive season that she has posted more than 300 kills. In addition, she ranks second on the team in block solos with 16 and ranks third on the team in blocks and blocks per game. Earlier this year, she was named the Most Valuable Player of the Hurricane Frances Invitational and was selected to the Texas Invitational All-Tournament team.
After playing soccer for most of her life, it was not until her sophomore year in high school that Hood really committed herself to volleyball. Flory said Hood came to LSU in need of experience, and her growth as a player is because of her hard work and willingness to do what it takes to get to where she is today.
“Regan came in as a great athlete who needed some more experience playing volleyball,” Flory explained. “We really liked her physical stature. We liked her body type and thought she was going to be somebody who was going to mature into a great player, and she has done that.”
In addition to gaining more knowledge about the game, Flory said Hood has constantly driven herself to compete at a high level every day in order to make herself a better player.
“She’s grown into her body and matured physically along with mentally in the game,” said Flory. “But the best thing she’s done is that she’s developed a strong competitive spirit. She practices every day as hard as she plays in every match, and that is going to lead to a much higher level of consistency in matches.”
That determination and spirit has helped Hood become one of the most dominant players in school history. Against Florida on Oct. 15, she became just the 13th player in LSU history to record 1,000 career kills. She currently has 1,143 and ranks 11th in school history. She also ranks fourth in kills per game, averaging 3.32 over her four seasons.
In addition, she ranks 10th in the Tiger record books for block solos, becoming just the sixth player in school history to rank in blocking and post 1,000 career kills. Last season, she became the first player since 2001 to post a triple double, recording 24 kills, 18 digs and 10 blocks against Mississippi State.
So, as Hood prepares to close out her LSU career at home this weekend in the SEC/C-USA Challenge, she has a chance to lead the Tigers to their best record in almost a decade. At 16-11 overall, LSU is just one win shy of the 2002 and 1999 teams’ total and the best record in Flory’s seven-year tenure, with two matches to play.
After celebrating “Senior Day” in the Tigers’ final SEC home match against Alabama last month, it seems only fitting that this quiet leader will play her final match at LSU with no closing ceremony and no pomp and circumstance. She will continue to leave everything she has on the court and pass her spirit and dedication down to the next class of Tigers that will follow.