HOUSTON — With the two teams trading games, the 22nd-ranked LSU volleyball team held off Illinois, 30-27, 26-30, 30-28, 22-30, 15-11, to win the first match of the Mizuno Invitational II at Rice on Friday afternoon.
Playing in the Owls’ practice facility, Fox Gym, while Autry Gym undergoes renovations, the Tigers remained undefeated at 4-0 on the season, including a pair of five-game wins in the last two matches. The Illini dropped to 2-2 on the season, losing back-to-back five-game matches.
Coming out and winning game one, the Tigers saw Illinois tie the match up in game two, with both games decided by a total of seven points. LSU pulled ahead with a two-point come-from-behind win in game three. The Illini controlled most of game four, but the Tigers put the match away with solid play in game five. LSU will continue play in the Mizuno Invitational II on Saturday at 11 a.m. against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi before closing out the tournament against Rice a 5 p.m.
“This is a great win for us because we had to show great character and mature through the match,” said LSU head coach Fran Flory. “Illinois put pressure on us and really forced us to address some areas that we knew were weak for us. They made us respond and we had to respond to win the match. I think we did a great job of that.”
Kyna Washington led the Tigers with 18 kills, one of four LSU players in double figures offensively. Lauren DeGirolamo, Brittnee Cooper and Angela Bensed all finished with 11 kills, followed by Marina Skender with nine. Defensively, Cooper was one block off her career high with eight, including a pair of solo blocks. Skender tied her career high with seven blocks, while DeGirolamo posted four.
“Brittnee Cooper really did a great job and grew up in that match,” said Flory. “Kyna Washington had a great match offensively, although she did have some errors, but she came through in the clutch. I thought we were really balanced offensively. I thought Maggie (Lonergan) did a great job without offense. We just need to get the ball into her hands a little bit better.”
For the second straight match, Elena Martinez recorded 20 digs, recording 25 against Saint Louis last weekend and 20 against Illinois on Friday. Along with Washington’s team-best 18 kills was 10 digs for her first double-double of the season. Michelle Hensgens was also in double-figures in digs with 12.
Despite being out hit, out blocked and posting a lower hitting percentage, the Tigers recorded points when they needed them, recording only four fewer points than the Illini. Additionally, LSU posted 11 service aces with three each by Maggie, Washington and Martinez.
In the first game, Skender came through with a game-best five kills, while hitting .364 and knocking back a game-high three blocks. Despite hitting .184 as a team, the Tigers out hit Illinois, who only managed a .118 clip. LSU came through with several key kills late in the game to pull ahead for good, 30-27.
The Tigers fell behind, 10-1, early in the second game. LSU rallied back to tie it up at 19 all and take its first lead, but the Tigers could keep it up. A tough serving rotation by DeBruler of the Illini would not allow LSU to hold its lead. Illinois went on to even the match, 30-26. Washington stepped up with five kills in the game, but the Tigers hit only .068 to a .256 mark for the Illini, with Illinois recording six blocks in the game.
In the third game, LSU again fell behind early, 12-8 and 13-9. Trailing most of the way, the Tigers came back to tie it up at 22. With the score tied at 24, LSU earned its first lead of the game, 25-24, but again the Illini came back, leading 27-25. Over the final crucial six points, Cooper took over at the next with three blocks, including the game-winner, 30-28.
The Tigers looked off balance for much of the fourth game. With Illinois playing to continue the match, the Illini pulled out to a 14-7 lead. LSU got as close as four, 16-12, but could never get closer as Illinois sent the match to a decisive fifth game.
Washington took over for the Tigers in the fifth game, recording four kills on 11 attempts to go with five digs and an assist. Early on, LSU took the lead, 5-3, but Illinois rallied back to tie it up at six all. The Illini took their only lead of the game, 9-8, before the Tigers tied it up at nine all and recorded six of the final eight points to earn the win.
“I was very proud of our effort and I think this will be one of those wins that we can look back on and understand that this was a positive.”
Laura DeBruler led the match and Illinois with 17 kills, followed by 16 from Kylie McCulley, 14 by Stefanie Alde and 13 by Vicki Brown. Brown led the match with six blocks, followed by five from Alde and Johannah Bangert and four by Nicole Kump. Ashley Edinger led the match with 32 digs, with Lizzie Bazzeetta’s 12 marking the only other Illini player to post double-figure digs.
LSU (4-0) (Kills-aces-blocks) ?Kyna Washington 18-3-1; Lauren DeGirolamo 11-0-4; Angela Bensend 11-1-1; Brittnee Cooper 11-0-8; Marina Skender 9-1-7; Maggie Lonergan 1-3-1; Brittney Johnson 0-0-0; Elena Martinez 1-3-0; Michelle Hensgens 0-0-0; Totals 62-11-12.0. (Assists) ? Maggie Lonergan 44. (Dig leaders) ? Elena Martinez 20, Michelle Hensgens 12, Kyna Washington 10.
Illinois (2-2) (Kills-aces-blocks) ?Laura DeBruler 17-2-0; Kylie McCulley 16-0-2; Vicki Brown 13-0-9; Johannah Bangert 4-2-5; Nicole Kump 2-0-4; Lizzie Bazzeetta 2-2-0; Lea Zarytzsky 0-0-0; Ashley Edinger 0-1-0; Amy Palash 0-0-0; Hillary Haen 0-0-0; Stefanie Alde 14-0-5; Totals 68-7-14.0. (Assists) ? Lizzie Bazzeetta 32; Hillary Haen 15. (Dig leaders) ? Ashley Edinger 32, Lizzie Bazzeetta 12.