Marina Skender Helps LSU Volleyball Return to National Prominence
Sometimes, the answer to a problem comes from the most unlikely of places.
At the start of the 2005 season, LSU volleyball had yet to claim an SEC West title in 10 years of divisional play. However, that began to change when the Tigers landed a promising recruit from faraway Zagreb, Croatia.
“I never came to an official visit here,” said LSU outside hitter Marina Skender. “I just saw media guides and a video they sent me and I loved everything about LSU. I liked the coaches and the way they approached me. It wasn’t just about volleyball. They talked about me and how I would fit in here. I liked the way they treated me.”
In choosing to play for the Tigers, Skender saw the opportunity to both do what she loves and get a quality education at the same time.
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“LSU recruited me and I thought it would be a really big opportunity to get an education and play here,” she said. “Back home, it’s different because you kind of have to choose one or the other. But here, I’m getting my graduate school degree and also playing.”
In a time when some athletes leave school without receiving a degree, Skender remains a true student-athlete. In her four years, she has been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll each year. Additionally, she graduated in May with a degree in Management and is now pursuing a graduate degree in kinesiology.
It didn’t take long for her to begin fulfilling her potential on the court as well. As a freshman, she played in every match and racked up 285 kills and 177 digs. She claimed SEC Freshman of the Week honors on four separate occasions, leading the league, and went on to earn SEC Freshman of the Year.
More importantly, however, the Tigers claimed their first-ever SEC Western Division championship and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1992.
In 2006, she continued to improve, leading the team in kills and finishing second in digs. She also elevated other aspects of her game, finishing first in the SEC and sixth in the nation in service aces per game.
“I think it’s easier to put away a ball away on the net, but I like getting an ace,” she said. “It’s just exciting.”
Her 2007 campaign saw her become only the sixth junior in school history to reach the 1,000 kill mark. She also ranked second on the team in digs and ascended to sixth all-time in career service aces at LSU. Her performance led to more postseason accolades as she was named to the All-Louisiana first team.
Skender’s toughest task came when she faced season-ending knee surgery that would force her to miss the 2008 season and take a medical redshirt in order to receive one more year of eligibility. It wasn’t long before she realized the difficulty of missing an entire season, but she credits her teammates for helping her return.
“It was really hard,” she said. “It was the longest season I’ve ever had to sit through. But everyone was very supportive. I never once felt as though I wasn’t a part of the team.”
As Skender watched from the sidelines, her teammates rallied to win their last six SEC matches of the season and wrapped up a fourth consecutive division title and fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance — two accomplishments that seemed improbable not long ago.
Although she and fellow seniors Brittnee Cooper, Lauren DeGirolamo, and Sam Dabbs have helped return the program to prominence, there is still one goal left to achieve.
Skender believes that she and her teammates can compete for an SEC championship, a title that has belonged exclusively to Florida since 1991.
“I worked really hard over the summer,” she said. “I think I had a really good spring, which helped me. I was more confident and stronger. I want to finish on a good note for my senior season.”
Skender has already began piling up milestones this season. In the fourth match of the year against sixth-ranked Nebraska, she became just the fifth Tiger in history and first since 2002 to record 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs.
LSU head coach Fran Flory praised Skender’s complete style of play.
“Marina is a great balanced player,” she said. “She makes every play, she is kind of like the mother hen. She is the one that organizes us on the court. She is also the one that makes the control contact for us that allows us to get back into rhythm.”
“I just try to calm everyone down,” Skender said. “During games, I’m just trying to calm the situation down because we are good and I know we’re going to rebound. I really feel something good about this team.”