BATON ROUGE ? The No. 17 LSU volleyball looks to close out the SEC regular season on a strong note as the Tigers welcome Alabama to the Maravich Center for a Sunday matinee. First serve is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. and LSU will honor its senior class of Brittnee Cooper, Sam Dabbs, Lauren DeGirolamo and Marina Skender following the match.
LSU (23-5, 17-2 SEC) enters Sunday’s match in sole possession of second place and a half-match behind Kentucky in the overall SEC standings. The Tigers have won 16 of their last 17 matches sparked by 11 sweeps and carry a 29-match winning streak over SEC opponents dating back to the 2006 season.
“This senior class came in at different times, but they’ve melded into the right combination,” head coach Fran Flory said. “Special things happen when you have this type of group of players and people. We’re fortunate that all four of them chose to come to LSU, and they’ve left a significant mark on the program in their own way. I’m hopeful that our fans and show them their appreciation. Our program has taken a huge step due to these four players.”
Cooper continues to pace the SEC with a .390 hitting percentage and 1.31 blocks per set. She has belted 96 kills in her last seven matches and her 3.45 spikes per set ranks seventh in the SEC. Cooper has knocked 1,052 kills and recorded 479 blocks for her career. She is 11 kills away from passing Meagan Davis for the No. 15 position.
Dabbs has improved on her 9.22 assists per set from last season and has dished out 11.12 helpers per frame to rank second in the SEC. She has upped her average to 11.46 assists in league matches. LSU has tallied a 16-5 record when Dabbs has passed out 40 or assists during her two seasons as a Tigers. She has accounted for 1,912 assists and picked up LSU’s first triple-double since 2003.
DeGirolamo has developed into a six-rotation player for the Tigers in 2009. She has popped 49 of her 128 kills over her last eight matches and reeled in seven or more digs in 21 of 28 matches. She also has provided 1.07 blocks per set in league matches and ranks eighth in the SEC. DeGirolamo is two kills shy of becoming the 17th player in program history to reach 1,000 career kills and also racked up 513 blocks.
Skender has returned to her 2007 form after missing all of 2008 due to an injury. She has ripped a team-best 354 kills and her 3.91 spikes per set ranks fourth in the SEC. The Croatia native is one of only five players to reach 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs plateau in program history. She has amassed 1,451 kills and 1,232 digs in her career to rank seventh in both categories.
Alabama (8-20, 6-12 SEC) dismissed Ole Miss before falling in five sets to Arkansas last weekend. The Crimson Tide is paced by Alyssa Meuth and Ashley Frazier, who has powered home 314 and 300 kills, respectively. Kelsey Anderson ranks just outside SEC’s Top 10 and has notched 3.31 digs per set.
“Every LSU-Alabama match is a war, and has been from the onset,” Flory said. “They’re a quality team, they have some great players, and they have a couple of seniors who are going to play their hearts out to finish on the right note for them. We’re going to have to be much better [than Friday night] in terms of our intensity level to be successful.”
Live video and live stats for the Alabama match are available in the Geaux Zone on LSUsports.net. Fans also can follow in-match updates of the five-time SEC Western Division champions via www.twitter.com/lsuvolleyball.
Tickets are now on-sale at www.LSUSports.net/tickets, 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 is offering the Friends and Family Pass where fans receive four tickets, four hot dogs and four drinks for only $20.
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