ATHENS, Ga. — Fresh off a pair of weekend sweeps, the LSU volleyball team will play in its first midweek match-up of the year on Wednesday at Georgia in the Ramsey Center at 6 p.m.
With victories over Ole Miss and Arkansas last weekend, LSU improved to 8-5 on the year and 3-3 in Southeastern Conference matches. The Tigers sit at second in the SEC West just behind Ole Miss.
The Bulldogs (8-9, 1-5 SEC) went 1-1 last weekend picking up their first SEC win of the season, 3-0 over Arkansas, before falling to Ole Miss. Sophomore outside hitter Lindsay Gehan posted a career-high 15 kills on a career-best .591 clip, earning SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors. Senior Maria Taylor entered the weekend ranked ninth all-time at Georgia in career kills, and she recorded 20 in the two matches to move her career total to 1,555, which now ranks her seventh and just ten kills from the sixth spot.
“Georgia has one of the key players in our league in Maria Taylor,” LSU head coach Fran Flory said. “She is an elite athlete and volleyball player. She is a leader on a very confident Georgia team that is developing more and more poise as the season goes on. We know we will have to play very well defensively to have the opportunity to succeed.”
LSU will look to Elena Martinez, the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Week, to help in that effort. The senior libero recorded a pair of 18-dig performances against division rivals Ole Miss and Arkansas last weekend and spearheaded the defensive effort that held the Rebels to a negative hitting clip at -.046.
The Tigers have topped Georgia, 23-18, in the all-time series and have won five straight contests over the Bulldogs. Their last loss to Georgia was in Athens in 2004.
Heading into the match, the Tigers are averaging more kills, assists, digs and blocks per set than the Bulldogs, but Georgia has the edge in hitting percentage, .232-.201. However, LSU’s .410 clip against the Razorbacks in the last match was its highest of not only the year but in any match since 2000.
This is the first of four straight road matches for LSU, who travels to face Auburn on Sunday.