BATON ROUGE — Coming off their first bid to the NCAA Tournament in 13 years, the LSU volleyball team will make three appearances on television in 2006 as the Tigers host 13 matches this season, while facing nine teams that advanced to the 2005 NCAA Tournament.
Season tickets for the upcoming year are on sale at the LSU Ticket Office for $40. LSU students, faculty and staff are admitted free with an LSU ID. Fans can purchase tickets online at the official web site of LSU Athletics, www.LSUsports.net, at the ticket office or call (225) 578-2184 or (800) 960-8587.
The Tigers will make their first television appearance on Sept 17 at Kentucky as LSU travels to face the Wildcats on SEC-TV. The match will be aired live in Baton Rouge on Fox Sports Southwest (cable channel 38) at 1 p.m. The following weekend, the Tigers will take on Georgia in the Maravich Center on Cox Sports Television (cable channel 37) at 1:30 p.m.
LSU will be on television for the final time during the regular season when the Tigers take on 2006 NCAA Final Four participant Tennessee in the Maravich Center on Oct. 22. The match will be carried live on SEC-TV in Baton Rouge on Fox Sports Southwest (cable channel 38).
After playing only six matches in the Maravich Center a year ago due to circumstances beyond their control, the Tigers begin the season at home with the Tiger Invitational and are scheduled to play in the Maravich Center 13 times in 2006. As part of the season-opening tournament, LSU will host 2005 Sweet Sixteen participant Penn State, along with 2004 NCAA Tournament participant Rice and in-state rival Nicholls State.
“We are excited about the opportunity to have Penn State on our home floor opening weekend,” said Flory. “It’s not often do you get a top 10 program to come in and play you on your home court and I think it’s a tribute to what we have been able to accomplish in the last few years that people are willing to do that.”
Admission to the tournament is free with an “Advocate” ticket. Those tickets are available through the LSU Promotions Department by calling (225) 578-8960. In addition, fans are encouraged to wear white to the Penn State match, and “Walk on the Wild Side” t-shirts will be given away in an attempt to “Pack Pete’s Seats” and break the LSU volleyball attendance record.
Following the Tiger Invitational, the Tigers travel to St. Louis for the Billiken Invitational. LSU will face perennial powers Minnesota and Texas A&M, along with host St. Louis. The Tigers then close out the pre-conference schedule in the Marriott Flyer Invitational. LSU will take on 2006 NCAA Tournament participant Dayton, along with Indiana and Wake Forest.
In 2006, the SEC has made the first dramatic alteration of the volleyball format in 15 years, since the addition of Arkansas and South Carolina to the league. Gone is the SEC Tournament, which had been a staple of the postseason since 1979, and in its place is a double round-robin regular season league format which will see each of the conference’s 11 teams play one another twice to determine the league champion and who earns the SEC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
“The SEC is going to a double round for the first time in its history,” said Flory. “We’re excited about that. We like the idea that we will play everyone home and away.”
Last season, the SEC emerged on the national scene as a volleyball force with the league recording a record six teams earning bids to the NCAA Tournament, with Tennessee advancing to the Final Four for the first time and Florida advancing to the Elite Eight. With this type of success, SEC teams are now able to validate their national standing with conference victories rather than relying upon non-conference wins.
“I think that throughout the conference every program has raised the level of success to the point that we will be able to be successful by playing each other and kind of protecting each other within the conference,” said Flory. “I think that was illustrated last year with teams getting into the NCAA Tournament based on conference wins. That was one of the first years that happened in the SEC.
“Certainly we know as a conference, and we know as a program, that we have got to beat some non-conference opponents to create that opportunity,” Flory continued. “We’ve scheduled our pre-conference schedule with that in mind, so that we will have a strong enough winning percentage and hopefully some significant wins pre-conference to lend some additional credibility to the SEC schedule.”
Promotions included with SEC home matches include “Group Night” against South Carolina on Sept. 22, where groups of 10 or more get in free with “Advocate” tickets by calling the LSU Promotions office at 578-8960 the week before the match, and fans can also receive volleyball cups. Against Georgia on Sept. 24 for “Family Day”, there will be pre-game inflatables for the kids to enjoy and a LSU volleyball lunch box giveaway.
Fans are encouraged to show their Tiger pride by wearing gold against Ole Miss on Sept. 29. Admission is free for those wearing gold to the game and gold “Walk on the Wild Side” t-shirts will be given away. On Oct. 1 against Mississippi State is “Camp Reunion Safari Day”. It is a chance for anyone who participated in the Fran Flory Tiger volleyball camps to get into the match free by wearing their camp t-shirt. Trading cards will be given away for a postgame autograph session.
LSU faculty and staff are encouraged to come out and support the Tigers against Kentucky on Oct. 20. A fan favorite, “Mike the Tiger’s Birthday Party”, is planned for Oct. 22 against nationally ranked Tennessee. Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts can get into the match free with “Advocate” tickets by calling the LSU Promotions office the week of the match at 578-8960. Pictures with Mike the mascot, a Mike the Tiger cake, inflatables and Scout volleyball badges will help fans celebrate the occasion.
Students are encouraged to come out against nationally ranked Florida for “Gold Digger Student Night” on Nov. 3. It is the Student Point game and “Gold Digger” t-shirts will be given away.
Mizuno is helping youth volleyball as part of “Mizuno Team Day” against Auburn on Nov. 5. Local teams get into the match free with “Advocate” tickets available through the LSU Promotions office at 578-8960. In addition, LSU backpacks will be given away at the match. The PMAC pep rally will be held against Arkansas on Nov. 8. Pom-poms will be available as local cheer teams get in free with “Advocate” tickets.
The Tigers close out the home schedule against Alabama for “Senior Night” on Nov. 10. There will be an autographed senior jersey giveaway to help send out the four magnificent seniors in style.
Following the SEC season, the Tigers will travel for the SEC/Big East Challenge at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex. LSU will face St. John’s and Marquette to close out the regular season.
“The schedule is catered towards having an opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament and having an opportunity to play teams that are going to be in the tournament as well,” said Flory. “It’s a tough schedule both home and away.”
The 64-team field for the 26th annual NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament will be announced on Nov. 26 live on ESPNews. The first and second round matches will be held from Nov. 30 until Dec. 3 on campus sites. The regionals will be held on Dec. 8-9 in Gainesville, Fla., Honolulu, Hawai’i, Austin, Texas and Seattle, Wash. The Final Four and championship matches will be held on Dec. 14 and 16 at the Qwest Center Omaha in Omaha, Neb.