BATON ROUGE — After winning four straight matches on the road highlighted by a trio of sweeps, the LSU volleyball team returns home Friday to square off against South Carolina.
LSU (11-4, 5-1 SEC) has won seven of its last eight matches to surge into first place in the SEC Western Division. The Tigers also enter Friday’s match winners of their last 35 SEC matches at the Maravich Center against league opponents other than Florida and Kentucky dating back to the 2004 season.
“It’s a huge weekend for our entire LSU Athletic Department and we’re extremely happy to be playing at home,” head coach Fran Flory said. “South Carolina is a team that can frustrate you because they’re such a great defensive team. The ball continues to come back at you. We’re going to have to show patience and resiliency on offense to be successful.”
LSU’s offense is coming off a season-best .391 hitting percentage at Mississippi State. Sam Dabbs has upped her average from 10.58 assists per set to 11.10 helpers per frame in league matches. The Tigers have compiled a 10-4 record over the last two seasons when Dabbs has dished out 40 or more assists.
“Sam is a fantastic setter, and we’ve worked very hard to balance our offense over the last couple of weeks,” Flory said. “The fact that everybody is doing so well makes her job easier but more difficult at the same time. Sam has done a tremendous job of making the right choices over the last two weekends.”
Brittnee Cooper headlines the LSU offense with 187 kills. Her .385 hitting percentage leads the SEC, while 3.34 kills per set are fifth in the SEC. The Houston native has rebounded from a tough SEC opening weekend and registered a scorching .532 hitting percentage in her last four matches. She also ranks second in the SEC and has racked up 1.27 blocks per set.
Marina Skender has already powered home double-digit kills in 13 of 15 matches, including 10 straight. She has belted 58 kills on a .352 hitting percentage during her last four outings and matched a season-best with 19 kills at Alabama. The Croatia native also knocked 10 aces over her last four matches and her 0.39 per set ranks third in the SEC.
Angela Bensend has compiled double-digit kills in two of her last three matches, including a season-high 12 kills on a .455 hitting percentage at Alabama. The Tigers are 13-1 over the last three seasons when Bensend reaches that feat.
“Angela is the best team player and if you ask her teammates, she would be everyone’s first or second choice,” Flory said. “She has worked hard and stayed the course because she wasn’t back to where she wanted to be at the start of the season. Her confidence and experience levels lend us a great deal of success in those rotations where we can’t get the ball to our middles.”
Lauren DeGirolamo continues to be an asset on defense. She has registered 33 of her 45 blocks over her last nine matches and her 1.10 blocks per set in SEC matches ranks fifth. DeGirolamo also has reeled in seven or more digs in 12 of 15 matches.
Michele Williams is second on the squad with 52 blocks, including a team-high 16 solo stuffs. Her 0.44 aces per set lead the SEC, while her 1.08 blocks per set is seventh.
Lauren Waclawczyk has settled into the defensive specialist position and corralled double-digit digs in 10 of her 13 starts, including five of her last six matches. Her 3.90 digs per set in conference matches are eighth in the SEC
Sam Delahoussaye has provided Waclawczyk with back row support. The Madisonville native has added five double-digit dig efforts and tallied a perfect reception percentage in eight of her last 10 matches.
First serve against the Gamecocks is on-tap for 7 p.m. with live video and live stats available through the Geaux Zone on LSUsports.net. Fans also can follow in-match updates of the defending four-time SEC Western champions via www.twitter.com/lsuvolleyball.
Friday’s match serves as Student Point Night. The first 100 students to sit in the student section in the west endzone receive a voucher for a free hot dog.
Tickets are now on-sale at www.LSUSports.net, the official Web site of LSU Athletics. Tickets also can be purchased at the ticket office on the first floor of the Athletics Administration Building or by calling (225) 578-2184. LSU students, faculty and staff are admitted free with a valid LSU ID.
LSU volleyball also is offering the Friends and Family Pass where fans receive four tickets, four hot dogs and four drinks for only $20.