ST. LOUIS — After dropping the first game in extra points, the LSU volleyball team rallied back to take three straight games to earn the match win, 30-32, 36-34, 30-23, 30-16, from Texas A&M, which is receiving votes in the AVCA/CSTV Coaches poll, on Friday night in the Billiken Invitational.
With the win, the Tigers, which are also receiving votes in the poll, improved to 3-1 on the season, with their only loss in five games to No. 2 Penn State last weekend. The loss was the first of the season for Texas A&M, who dropped to 3-1. The win was the first for LSU over the Aggies since 1991, who had lost four straight to Texas A&M.
“I think this was a tremendous match for us in that we battled back,” said LSU head coach Fran Flory. “Texas A&M is a very good team. They do some things that really caused us some problems, but what a great job by our team to fight through.
“I think our ball control took a step up and blocking, which is usually a factor for us, was not a factor tonight. So, we had to rely on some other aspects of our game to be successful and we did a great job of adjusting.”
After eight service errors doomed the Tigers in a hotly contested first game, it was three service aces by Marina Skender that led LSU on a 5-0 run to change the match in game two. With the Tigers trailing, 28-24, LSU rattled off five-straight points behind the strong serving of Skender to take the lead and eventually even the match at a game a piece heading into the locker room.
Coming out in game three, the Tigers took control of the momentum and the match and never let up. LSU went on to earn game three before dominating Texas A&M in game four behind a .600 team hitting percentage.
“We were not in any kind of rhythm in game one,” said Flory. “We had to reach inside and find something extra and go back to who we are and how we play and the fact that we could recover is a tribute to the leadership of this team and certainly a tribute to Marina Skender.
“Marina served us back into game two. Probably that portion and her serving us into game two won the match for us because had we not been able to make that rally I don’t think we’re out of here in five.”
In addition to recording seven aces for the match, Skender led the match with 20 kills. Freshman Lauren DeGirolamo, playing close to her hometown of Belleville, Ill., posted 16 kills with a .583 hitting percentage and a match-best six blocks. Kyna Washington recorded 13 kills, while Vanessa Freeman had 12 while hitting at a .450 clip.
Kassi Mikulik led the match with 14 digs, followed by 10 each from Skender and Daniela Romero. In addition to the 10 digs, Romero also led the match with 59 assists for her third double-double of the year. As a team, the Tigers recorded a .294 hitting percentage for the match, behind a .306 effort in game three and a .600 mark in game four.
Mary Batis led Texas A&M with 19 kills, followed by Kelly Stanton with 11 and Sarah Ammerman with 10. The Aggies hit .229 as a team, but only managed a .194 clip in game three and a .100 mark in game four. Batis and Jen Moore each led A&M with 10 digs for the match, while Kelsey Bryant posted a team-best five blocks.
In the first game, the pair went back and forth throughout the game, posting 20 tied scores with six lead changes. The largest lead in the game was a three point advantage for LSU, 20-17, before Texas A&M came back to tie it up at 22. The Aggies held the first game point, 29-28, but a kill by DeGirolamo tied it up and kept the game alive.
The 11th kill of the match by Texas A&M gave the Aggies their second game point, 30-29. A service error by A&M tied it up again. A substitution violation by LSU gave the Aggies their third and final game point as an attacking error by Skender ended the game in favor of Texas A&M, 32-30.
With 17 tied scores, 10 lead changes and an extended score, the second game played out in much the same way as the first except it worked out in favor of the Tigers. After trailing by as many as four, 25-21, LSU rallied back to within one, 25-24, but the Aggies pulled ahead once again, 28-24.
Strong serving by Skender led the Tigers on a 5-0 rally, which included three service aces and was the turning point of the game to give LSU the 29-28 lead. On the Tiger game point, a kill by the Aggies tied it up. Each team would then have three chances each to win the game before LSU finally put it away on a diving save that went for a kill by Washington, 36-34.
There was much less drama in the third game as the Tigers took control early and never relented. With LSU leading 12-11, the Tigers went on a 7-3 run to take the five-point lead. LSU led by as many as eight, 29-21, before closing it out, 30-23, on a kill by Freeman.
The fourth game was no contest from the start. The Tigers jumped out to a quick 14-6 lead and just kept stretching the lead. LSU closed out the match on a 6-1 run, ending it fittingly on a kill by DeGirolamo.
The Tigers will now face No. 22 Minnesota on Saturday at noon, before closing out the tournament at 5 p.m. against host St. Louis. The Golden Gophers are opening their season this weekend, while the Billikens are 3-0 after going undefeated last weekend.
LSU def. Texas A&M, 30-32, 36-34, 30-23, 30-16
LSU (3-1) (Kills-aces-blocks) – Marina Skender 20-7-0; Lauren DeGirolamo 16-0-6; Kyna Washington 13-0-3; Vanessa Freeman 12-0-1; Melody Clark 9-1-1; Daniela Romero 5-0-2; Lauren Leaumont 0-2-0; Elena Martinez 0-1-0; Michelle Hensgens 0-0-0; Kassi Mikulik 0-1-0; Totals 75-12-8.0. (Assists) – Daniela Romero 59. (Dig leaders) – Kassi Mikulik 14, Daniela Romero 10, Marina Skender 10.
Texas A&M (3-1) (Kills-aces-blocks) – Mary Batis 19-1-1; Kelly Stanton 11-0-4; Sarah Ammerman 10-0-1; Kelsey Bryant 8-1-5; Christi Hahn 7-0-0; Meghan Kainz 1-0-1; Jen Moore 0-0-0; Stephanie Cadavid 0-0-0; Jola Kelner 0-0-0; Jenny Banse 0-0-0; Totals 56-2-7.0. (Assists) – Meghan Kainz 45. (Dig leaders) – Jen Moore 10, Christi Hahn 10.