ORLANDO — After claiming their first outright Southeastern Conference Western Division title, the 15th-ranked LSU volleyball team will close out the 2006 regular season at the SEC/Big East Challenge this weekend at the Champions Sports Complex.
The Tigers (24-5) will face Big East regular season champion St. John’s (30-2) on Friday at 2 p.m. (EST), before closing out play against Marquette (16-13) on Saturday at 2 p.m. (EST). LSU will then await an NCAA Tournament at-large bid, which will be announced on Sunday on ESPNews between 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
“I think this is a great tournament for us to end the regular season, playing back-to-back days on Friday and Saturday,” said LSU head coach Fran Flory. “We will be playing against two very high quality teams. This will be a challenge for us and a great tune-up for the NCAA Tournament.”
Last weekend, the Tigers suffered just their fifth loss of the season as LSU dropped a hard fought five-game match at Ole Miss on Sunday after sweeping Mississippi State on Friday. This will be the first meeting between the Tigers and both the Red Storm and the Golden Eagles. This is also the first time LSU will face a team from the Big East Conference this season.
Senior Kassi Mikulik leads the Tigers with 4.80 digs per game. The Flatonia, Texas, libero became just the seventh person in LSU history to record 1,000 career digs and now needs 18 digs to break the LSU single-season digs record. In addition, she needs 59 digs to move into third place in Tiger volleyball career history.
Senior Daniela Romero leads the SEC and ranks 12th in the NCAA with 13.46 assists per game. She currently needs 60 assists to move into fourth place in single-season assists in LSU history. In addition, she is just six digs away from becoming the eighth player in school history to post 1,000 career digs.
Freshman Lauren DeGirolamo leads the Tigers and ranks eighth in the nation with 1.63 blocks per game. The Belleville, Ill., native broke into the top 10 in single-season blocks assists last weekend and needs seven block assists to move into seventh place. In addition, she is averaging 3.03 kills per game with a team-best .322 hitting percentage.
Offensively, LSU is balanced with three players averaging over three kills a game. Sophomore Marina Skender leads the way with 3.88 kills per game, followed by sophomore Kyna Washington at 3.42 kills per game. In addition, Skender leads in the SEC and ranks fifth in the NCAA with 0.71 service aces per game.
St. John’s lost only its second match of the season last weekend in the semi-finals of the Big East Tournament. The Red Storm had their 21-match winning streak snapped with a 3-1 loss to Notre Dame. The Red Storm’s only other loss of the season was on Sept. 9 against then No. 10 Southern California.
Hui Ping Huang leads St. John’s with 3.89 kills per game, followed by Patti Hardimon at 3.73 and Caitlin Rimgaila at 3.55. No Red Storm player is averaging over a block a game, as St. John’s is led by Latoya Blunt at 0.89. Kathleen Yee leads the Red Storm with 4.64 digs per game.
“St. John’s is coming in after losing in their conference tournament and playing for a chance to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament,” said Flory. “I think there is a lot on the line for us as well.”
Marquette enters this weekend after advancing to the semi-finals of the Big East Tournament last week. The Golden Eagles upset Pittsburg in five games, before losing to eventual champion Louisville in five games. Despite the loss, Marquette has won seven of its last nine matches, with its only losses to St. John’s and Louisville.
Kimberley Todd leads the Golden Eagles with 4.79 kills per game, followed by Jamie Mueller at 4.16 a game. Marquette is led by Jenn Brown with 1.22 blocks per game, while Mueller averages a team-best 4.50 digs per game.
“I think that Marquette is a very solid team,” said Flory. “They have been playing very, very well at the end of the season. They have been making a nice run.”
The NCAA Tournament selection show will be broadcast live on ESPNews on Sunday between 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. The Tigers will gather to watch the selection show at Walk-On’s Bistreaux and Bar. The Tigers are looking for back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time since making four straight from 1989 to 1992.