BATON ROUGE — The No. 20 LSU volleyball team has won 10 of its last 11 matches and takes on Auburn in a Sunday matinee at the Maravich Center. First serve is slated for 1 p.m. and the match will be televised live on CST.
LSU has strung together 25 consecutive victories over SEC Western Division opponents and opened a 4.5 match lead over second place Auburn in the division race. The Tigers also have won their last 39 SEC matches at the Maravich Center against league opponents other than Florida and Kentucky dating back to the 2004 season.
Sam Dabbs distributed a match-best 37 assists and fueled the LSU volleyball team to a .356 team hitting percentage when LSU swept Auburn [25-22, 25-20, 26-24] earlier this season. The Tigers cranked impressive.480 and .438 clips in the second and third sets, respectively.
Brittnee Cooper and Marina Skender combined for 28 of LSU’s 43 kills. Cooper ripped 15 kills on 20 swings en route to a season-best .700 hitting percentage and added four blocks. Skender powered home 13 kills to go along with seven digs and three aces. Michele Williams tacked on five kills, while Lauren Waclawczyk reeled in 11 digs to anchor the back row.
“Coming into the weekend I thought Georgia and Auburn were the two hottest teams in the SEC,” head coach Fran Flory said. “They’re making a great push at the end. Their young kids have grown up and matured. They’re playing at a different level than they were when we faced them earlier in the season. We’re going to be ready for a very tough match Sunday afternoon.”
Cooper knocked 16 kills on a .542 hitting percentage to go along with five blocks in LSU’s 3-1 victory over Georgia on Friday.
Dabbs and Skender also tallied double-doubles for the Tigers. Dabbs passed out 46 assists and added 13 digs, while Skender popped 13 kills and reeled in 16 digs. Lauren DeGirolamo turned in a complete performance with nine kills, 13 digs and four blocks. Angela Bensend chipped in eight kills and Madie Jones ripped five kills over two sets off the bench.
Sam Delahoussaye corralled 14 digs on the back row and Williams recorded a match-best six blocks at the net as LSU limited the Bulldogs to a .141 hitting percentage for the match.
Sunday’s match serves as Girls Scouts Day as scouts wearing their sash receive free admission. Live video and stats are available in the Geaux Zone on LSUsports.net. Fans also can follow in-match updates of the four-time defending SEC Western Division champions via www.twitter.com/lsuvolleyball.
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.