BATON ROUGE — Coming off back-to-back Southeastern Conference Western Division titles and NCAA Tournament appearances, the LSU volleyball team will make two appearances on television in 2007 as the Tigers host 15 matches this season, while facing eight teams that advanced to the 2006 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 at the ticket office or call (225) 578-2184 or (800) 960-8587. Tickets are available online at the official web site of LSU Athletics, LSUsports.net. Single match tickets will be available on game days for $5 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under.
The Tigers will make their first television appearance on Wednesday, Oct. 17 against Ole Miss as LSU will face the Rebels on Cox Sports Television (cable channel 37) at 7 p.m. The Tigers will then take on 16-time defending SEC champion Florida in Gainesville on Friday, Oct. 26 at 6 p.m. (CT) on SEC Regional Sports Network. The match will be aired live in Baton Rouge on Fox Sports Southwest (cable channel 38).
LSU has an outstanding pre-conference schedule in 2007 that will help ease the newcomers into the lineup early in the year and gradually test the Tigers as the season progresses. The slate includes three pre-conference tournaments, the 20-match conference schedule and two non-conference matches. LSU will match up against eight teams that advanced to the 2006 NCAA Tournament, including a league-record six from the SEC.
“I think our schedule is ideal,” said LSU head coach Fran Flory. “We’ve worked really hard to develop a schedule gave us, after losing the type of kids in our line-up that we had last year, it will give us a chance to slowly work into the season. Hopefully we will have the opportunity to see some kids in some different positions early in our opening weekend and then kind of jump into the fire before SEC’s start.”
For the second-straight year, the Tigers will open the season with the Mizuno Tiger Classic. As part of the tournament, LSU will host in-state rivals New Orleans and UL-Monroe, while also facing Saint Louis in a rematch of a 3-1 win in St. Louis last season. The tournament runs from Friday, Aug. 24 ? Saturday, Aug. 25 in the Maravich Center. Fans will have the chance to pick up team posters and schedule cards throughout the tournament.
Following the Tiger Classic, LSU will travel to Houston for the Mizuno Invitational II hosted by Rice. Along with the tournament host, the Tigers will face Illinois and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. LSU closes out the pre-conference schedule by traveling to Des Moines, Iowa, for the Iowa Challenge. The Tigers will take on tournament host Drake along with Iowa and Iowa State.
“We will play some very difficult teams in Rice and Illinois, Iowa and Iowa State,” said Flory. “All four of those teams are going to be at the top half if not top of their conference or their divisions within their conference. I think we have some great challenges, but I think they are the right type of challenges for this team.”
The SEC will be playing a double round-robin regular season format for the second year in 2007 as the Tigers have the chance to face all 10 conference teams in the Maravich Center for the second-straight season. In 2006, the SEC made the first dramatic alteration of the volleyball format in 15 years by doing away with the SEC Tournament. Under the new format, LSU won its second-straight SEC Western Division title and finished second overall in the conference race
“We are excited about the SEC schedule,” said Flory. “We are continuing to play a double round, playing everyone on our home court again and at their place again.”
Promotions for the season will be focused around a month-long “Dig for the Cure” theme that will help to raise money and awareness about breast cancer to coincide with National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. LSU will warm-up in specially designed pink shirts before the matches against Alabama on Oct. 5 to kick off the event, and don the shirts again against Arkansas on Oct. 19 to close the campaign.
Against the Crimson Tide and the Gamecocks, admission is free for those wearing pink. The first 200 fans against Alabama will receive a Piggy Bank that they are encouraged to take home and collect change in throughout the month. Fans are then asked to bring those filled piggy banks to the match against Arkansas and donate the spare change to breast cancer research, but fans will get to keep their piggy banks. In addition, fans can donate a quarter to the special wishing well at the Ole Miss match on Oct. 17 and fans have the opportunity to have their LSU wish come true.
Specific match promotions included with SEC home matches include “Pack Pete’s Seats” against South Carolina on Sept. 21. All fans wearing gold get in for free and the match is the first of two Student-Point Games on the season as the Tigers attempt to break the LSU volleyball attendance record. Over the last two years, the Tigers have more than doubled their average volleyball attendance and have recorded two of the top 10 attendance marks in school history. The first 200 fans to arrive against the Gamecocks will receive free LSU volleyball t-shirts.
Against Florida on Sept. 23, LSU volleyball camp alumni are encouraged to come out and support the Tigers. All campers will receive free admission when wearing their camp t-shirt to the match. In addition, as part of the “Gold Digger Day”, the first 200 fans will receive a free “Gold Digger” t-shirt.
While also kicking off the “Dig for the Cure” campaign, the match against Alabama on Oct. 5 will serve as Faculty/Staff night. LSU faculty and staff can register for a tour of the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes, a tour of the Maravich Center, including the LSU volleyball locker room, and receive special recognition during the match.
Mizuno is helping youth volleyball as part of “Mizuno Team Day” against Mississippi State on Oct. 7. Local teams get into the match free with “Advocate” tickets available through the LSU Promotions office at 578-8960. In addition, senior citizens are asked to come out for free admission and an afternoon of Bingo. The first 100 fans will receive free wristbands.
While getting the chance to have your wish come true against Ole Miss on Oct. 17, the first 100 fans will receive free car magnets. Closing out the “Dig for the Cure” event against Arkansas on Oct. 19, the first 200 fans will receive free t-shirts.
While in the midst of the conference schedule, LSU will step outside of the SEC and face Notre Dame on Oct. 23 in the Maravich Center in a rare mid-week non-conference match. Students are encouraged to attend as fans can participate in a giant twister competition. The first 200 fans will also receive a free koozie.
Against Kentucky on Nov. 2, all fans wearing family friendly LSU pajamas will get in free and the match will serve as the second Student-Point game of the year. The first 100 in attendance will also receive free alarm clocks. A fan favorite, “Mini Mike & Family Day “, is planned for Nov. 4 against Tennessee. All kids 12 and under will get in free and have the chance to win one of 100 tiger tails, while there will be pre-game activities for the kids to enjoy.
Against Georgia on Nov. 16, groups of 10 or more get in free with “Advocate” tickets by calling the LSU Promotions office at 578-8960. Fans will also be treated to a pre-game tailgate party and cook-off and trading cards will be given away.
In the final conference match of the year at home, the Tigers will face Auburn on Nov. 18 for “Senior Night”. Fans bringing non-perishable food items to the match will get in free to support the Thanksgiving Food Drive. In addition, the first 100 fans will receive free LSU pot holders just in time for the holiday season.
The Tigers will close out the regular season against Tulane on Nov. 24 at home. As winter approaches, LSU fans will be able to bid farewell to the summer with a Tiger Beach Party. The Tigers will then await an NCAA Tournament bid as tournament action begins at sub-regional sites on Nov. 29.
“I think our overall schedule is one of the best schedules we could have for this team,” said Flory. “It worked out just perfect for us. It’ll give us the opportunity to have significant wins and the opportunity to be seen as an NCAA Tournament team early in the season. Then we can hopefully continue our quest to be SEC West champions and step into another championship as well.”
The 64-team field for the 27th annual NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament will be announced on Nov. 25 live on ESPNews. The first and second round matches will be held from Nov. 29 until Dec. 2 on campus sites. The regionals will be held on Dec. 7-8 in Gainesville, Fla., Honolulu, University Park, Penn., Palo Alto, Calif., and Madison, Wisc. The Final Four and championship matches will be held on Dec. 13 and 15 at the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, Calif.
If you have any questions about any of the above promotions for the 2007 LSU Volleyball season, you can contact the LSU Promotions Department at 578-8960 or at promotions@lsu.edu.
2007 LSU Volleyball Television Broadcasts
Wed., Oct. 17 Ole Miss at LSU Cox Sports Television 7 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 26 LSU at Florida SEC-TV (Fox Sports Net) 6 p.m. (CT)
2007 LSU Volleyball Promotions
South Carolina — Friday, Sept. 21 — 7 p.m.
Pack Pete’s Seats
– Student-Point Night
– Fans wearing gold get in FREE
– First 200 fans receive an LSU Volleyball T-SHIRT
Florida — Sunday, Sept. 23 — 1 p.m.
Gold Digger Day — Camp Reunion Day
– Campers in LSU Volleyball Camp T-shirts get in FREE
– First 200 fans receive a Gold Digger T-SHIRT
Alabama — Friday, Oct. 5 — 7 p.m.
Dig for the Cure Kickoff — Faculty & Staff Night
– All fans in pink get in FREE
– First 200 fans receive a Piggy Bank
Mississippi State — Sunday, Oct. 7 — 1:30 p.m.
Bingo Afternoon — Mizuno Team Day
– Senior citizens and volleyball teams get in FREE
– First 100 fans receive a WRISTBAND
Ole Miss — Wednesday, Oct. 17 — 7 p.m.
Wishing Well Wednesday
– Donate a quarter to Dig for the Cure and your wish may come true
– First 100 fans receive a Car Magnet
Arkansas — Friday, Oct. 19 — 7 p.m.
Dig for the Cure Finale
– All fans in pink get in FREE
– Return the spare change from your piggy bank for Dig for the Cure
– First 200 fans receive an LSU Volleyball T-shirt
Notre Dame — Tuesday, Oct. 23 — 7 p.m.
Twister Tuesday
– First 200 fans receive a Koozie
– Giant Twister competition!
Kentucky — Friday, Nov. 2 — 7 p.m.
Pajama Party
– Student-Point Night
– Fans wearing LSU pajamas get in FREE
– First 100 fans receive an Alarm clock
Tennessee — Sunday, Nov. 4 — 1:30 p.m.
Mini Mike Day — Family Fun Day
– All Kids 12 & Under get in FREE
– Win one of 100 TIGER TAILS
Georgia — Friday, Nov. 16 — 7 p.m.
Group Night — Tailgate Party and Cook-off — Trading Card Night
– Groups of 10 or more get in FREE
– Pre-game Tailgate Party and Cook-off
– Free LSU Volleyball Trading Cards
Auburn — Sunday, Nov. 18 — 1:30 p.m.
Thanksgiving Food Drive — Senior Day
– Bring non-perishable food to get in FREE
– First 100 fans receive an LSU POT HOLDER
Tulane — Saturday, Nov. 24 — 7 p.m.
Tiger Beach Party