SAN ANTONIO — Off to their best start since 1991, the LSU volleyball team travels to San Antonio for the UTSA Dome Rally this weekend at the Alamodome, in a tune-up event as the arena prepares to host the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship in December.
The Tigers begin play on Friday against the host Roadrunners at 4:30 p.m. Play continues on Saturday as LSU faces No. 13 Texas A&M. The Tigers close out tournament action on Sunday against Rice, which is receiving votes in the national poll, at 3 p.m.
“This is the first opportunity we have to truly play on a national level this season,” said LSU head coach Fran Flory. “Our competition has increased each week by design. This third week is intended to test us and we are excited to get the chance to compete.
“We are still struggling from the effects of Hurricane Katrina and what that has done to Louisiana and LSU, but we understand that this is an opportunity that we not have again next week or next year and we want to take advantage of it.”
The UTSA Athletics Department announced that Hurricane Katrina evacuees with identification from the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama will be admitted free along with their families to the tournament. In addition to the free tickets being offered to evacuees, UTSA student-athletes will be at the Rally to take cash donations, with anyone contributing $25 receiving a complimentary ticket for the day.
Last weekend, LSU swept the Georgia State Invitational in Atlanta. The Tigers defeated Georgia State, 3-1, before besting Jacksonville State and Wright State, 3-1, each.
Senior Jelena Mijatovic was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, while junior Melody Clark and freshman Marina Skender was named to the all-tournament team for LSU.
Mijatovic led the team with 5.08 kills per game, including back-to-back 20-plus kill matches against Jacksonville State and Wright State. She also recorded eight service aces, 1.92 digs per game and 10 blocks, leading the team with 74.5 points in the tournament.
Clark led the team in blocks with 17 and a 1.42 blocks per game average. She also ranked second on the team in hitting percentage at .290 and recorded 2.08 kills per game for the tournament.
Skender led the team with a .339 hitting percentage for the weekend. She posted 2.33 kills per game and a team-best 10 service aces. In addition, she recorded 20 digs and nine blocks, ranking second on the team with 42.5 points.
Texas-San Antonio enters the match at 3-1 on the season after sweeping Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in a mid-week match and finishing as the tournament runner-up at the Springhill Classic Invitational last weekend. The Tigers are 1-0 all-time against the Roadrunners, as LSU swept UTSA at the Texas A&M Invitational in 2002.
Texas A&M enters the tournament at 6-0 on the year. The Aggies have lost just one game in their six matches, defeating Sam Houston State, 3-1, in a mid-week match. Texas A&M entered the national rankings at No. 13 this week after posting a 3-0 win over nationally ranked St. Mary’s last weekend. The Tigers are 10-17 all-time against the Aggies, dropping a close 3-2 match to Texas A&M in 2002.
Rice is 4-1 going into the tournament. The Owls dropped a five-game match to Texas Tech earlier in the week. Last season, the Tigers split a pair of matches against Rice, defeating the Owls, 3-2, in Baton Rouge and falling, 0-3, in Houston.
DOME RALLY SCHEDULE
Friday, Sept. 9
11 a.m. – Oklahoma vs. Rice
1:30 p.m. – UTSA vs. LSU
4:30 p.m. – Texas A&M vs. Florida
7 p.m. – Notre Dame vs. Southern California
Saturday, Sept. 10
11 a.m. – Texas A&M vs. LSU
1:30 p.m. – Oklahoma vs. Notre Dame
4:30 p.m. – Southern California vs. Florida
7 p.m. – UTSA vs. Rice
Sunday, Sept. 11
11 a.m. – Notre Dame vs. Florida
1 p.m. – Texas A&M vs. Southern California
3 p.m. – LSU vs. Rice
5 p.m. – UTSA vs. Oklahoma