BATON ROUGE — LSU head volleyball coach Fran Flory will welcome 12 players to campus on Wednesday before the Tigers begin practice on Thursday in preparation for the season-opening Mizuno Tiger Classic in the Maravich Center on Aug. 24-25.
The Tigers have also added three more television matches, giving LSU six regular season televised matches this year. Cox Sports Television has picked up the LSU match against Florida in the Maravich Center on Sept. 23 as part of the Gator’s contract with the cable network. Pelican Sports, part of the Pelican Broadcasting Network KPBN, has also selected several matches for broadcast on Cox digital cable channel 113. The network will televise the Nov. 4 match against Tennessee, the Nov. 18 match against Auburn and the No. 24 match against Tulane.
LSU, which is coming off a 26-6 season a year ago and its second-straight NCAA Tournament, returns three starters, including First-Team All-SEC selection Marina Skender. Among the other returning players that are reporting are junior outside hitter Kyna Washington and sophomore middle blocker Lauren DeGirolamo. The Tigers also bring in a redshirt freshman and four true freshmen to join the seven returning letterwinners.
On Wednesday, the team will move into their apartments, participate in several meetings and undergo physical examinations. LSU will hit the court for its first practice on Thursday morning at 8 a.m. in the Maravich Center for the first day of two-a-days before hitting the gym in the afternoon at 2:30 p.m.
The Tigers will conduct two days of two-a-day practices before participating in a team bonding trip this weekend. LSU will return for seven days of two-a-days and four one-a-day practices sessions before beginning the season in the Mizuno Tiger Classic.
Season tickets for the upcoming year are currently 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 also be available online at the official web site of LSU Athletics, www.LSUsports.net. Single match tickets will be available on game days for $5 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under.
The team will open the 2007 season on Aug. 24 against New Orleans in the Maravich Center in the Mizuno Tiger Classic at 7 p.m. The Tigers will then take on Louisiana-Monroe on Aug. 25 at 11 a.m. before closing out the two-day tournament against Saint Louis, which LSU knocked off 3-1 in the Billiken Invitational last season, at 7 p.m. Fans will have the chance to pick up team posters and schedule cards throughout the tournament.
Promotions for the 2007 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.