TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Riding the third longest winning streak in school history, the 10th-ranked LSU volleyball team travels to take on Alabama in a key Southeastern Conference match on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. in the CAVE.
Having won 13 straight matches, the Tigers (15-1, 7-0 SEC) sit atop the SEC Western Division standings and have achieved their highest national ranking since Sept. 1992. The Crimson Tide (10-6, 5-2 SEC) are two games behind LSU in the SEC West after sweeping Arkansas on Friday.
“Alabama is coming off a very big and very dominating win against Arkansas on Friday night,” said Flory. “They will be very confident. It will be just another in a line of what we have been stepping on the court against, since we have faced almost every team after a big win this year. This won’t be an exception, so we know we will have to be prepared.”
The Tigers hold a slight edge in the overall series record, 21-20, but Alabama holds a 13-8 lead in matches in Tuscaloosa. LSU has not won in the CAVE since 2001, as it was one of four venues the 2006 Tiger seniors had not won in during their careers. The quartet has already knocked off Tennessee in Knoxville and Kentucky in Lexington this season, which leaves only Alabama and Florida as the teams LSU has not defeated at home over the last four years.
“The LSU-Alabama matched has developed into a great rivalry over the last few years,” said Flory. “I think both programs have a great deal of respect for each other. I think both teams view this as a very important match in determining the SEC divisional championship with LSU, Alabama and Arkansas winning every year since the conference went to that format.”
As a team, LSU leads Alabama on the offensive side of the net; with an SEC-best 16.8 kills per game, compared to 14.4 for the Crimson Tide. In addition, the Tigers lead Alabama in hitting percentage, with a .242 mark, compared to just a .222 clip for the Crimson Tide. The pair are also both very tough serving teams, as Alabama is recording 1.92 aces per game, while LSU has is averaging 1.91 service aces per game.
“We will have to ball control because they are a very tough serving team,” said Flory. “They are a very dynamic, athletic and explosive offensive team. We are going to have to play very well to beat them.”
Defensively, LSU again leads Alabama, holding a 3.1 to 2.5 blocks per game advantage, while also leading in digs per game, 16.6 to 15.4. The Tigers lead the SEC in opponents hitting percentage, holding opponents to just a.130 clip, while the Crimson Tide rank are at .171.
Freshman Lauren DeGirolamo leads the Tigers and ranks fourth in the nation with 1.72 blocks per game. The Belleville, Ill., native has recorded six matches with eight or more blocks this season, including back-to-back double-figure blocking matches against Tennessee and Kentucky. In addition, she is averaging 3.23 kills per game with a team-best .346 hitting percentage.
Offensively, LSU is balanced with four players averaging over three kills a game. Sophomore Marina Skender leads the way with 3.62 kills per game. In addition, she leads in the SEC with 0.71 service aces per game, which ranks fourth nationally.
Senior Kassi Mikulik leads the Tigers with 4.48 digs per game. The Flatonia, Texas, libero became just the seventh person in LSU history to record 1,000 career digs and now needs 14 digs to move into sixth place in Tiger volleyball career history. In addition, she ranks fourth in the SEC in digs per game and fourth in career digs per game in LSU history.
Setter Daniela Romero leads the SEC and ranks ninth in the NCAA with 13.40 assists per game. She currently needs nine assists to move into second place in career assists in LSU history. In addition, she is 67 digs away from breaking into the top 10 in career digs in Tiger volleyball history.
Crystal Hudson and Bridget Fuentez lead Alabama with 3.65 kills per game each, while Hudson leads the Crimson Tide with a .359 hitting percentage. Defensively, Amy Pauly leads Alabama with 4.08 digs per game, while Hudson leads the Crimson Tide with 1.05 blocks per game, followed by Rachael Green at 1.02 blocks per game.
Next weekend the Tigers will travel to take on Auburn and nationally ranked Florida. LSU will next be at home on Oct. 20 for a rematch with Kentucky before facing off once again with nationally ranked Tennessee on Oct. 22.