BATON ROUGE – After spending the previous two weekends on the road, the No. 15 LSU volleyball team starts a three-match homestand Friday against Kentucky. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside the Maravich Center.
LSU (14-1, 5-1 SEC) is a half-match ahead of Auburn, a 3-0 Wednesday winner over Georgia, in the SEC Western Division standings. A win over the Wildcats would match the 15-1 start by the 2006 squad.
“The mental and physical challenges with midterms are tough for everyone,” head coach Fran Flory said. “The last two weeks were tough on the road, and we’re awfully glad to be at home for this stretch of matches. We’ve struggled against Kentucky and we’re expecting a very physical match. They’re a very talented team, and we’re going to have at the top of our game to compete with their team.”
LSU’s offense not only headlines the SEC but is ranked among the NCAA’s Top 15 in kills per set [14.58], assists per set [13.62] and hitting percentage [.287]. Brittney Johnson has eclipsed the 40-assist plateau seven times and set a balanced attack as the Tigers have had three or more hitters with 10 or kills during five of their last seven matches. Her 10.92 assists per set are first in the SEC and 27th nationally.
“I’m proud of Brittney because she struggled at Florida and didn’t deliver the ball with the right authority during clutch situations. Partially, our passing didn’t get the ball into her hands correctly. We didn’t’ pass great at South Carolina either, but she accepted the challenge. She created for our offense and no longer just a great athlete setting. She continues to get better which is great for our team.”
Johnson has set four hitters to over 2.00 kills per set starting with Angela Bensend, who has racked up double digit kills in 13 of 15 matches, including nine straight efforts. Bensend’s 4.49 kills per set fuel the SEC in addition to ranking No. 17 in the nation. LSU has won 26 of 28 matches when Bensend reaches double-digit kills over her career.
Michele Williams has ripped 177 kills at a 3.34 per set ratio for a scorching .376 hitting percentage.
Her 3.34 kills per set are sixth, while her .376 clip is fourth in the SEC. The Magnolia, Texas, native has attacked at over a .300 ratio in 12 of 15 matches, including a career-high .769 clip at South Carolina.
Over her last seven matches, Madie Jones has connected for 81 of her 143 kills. She has hammered home 3.05 kills per set on a .326 hitting percentage, both marks are just outside the SEC’s Top 10 during conference matches.
Desiree Elliott has picked up her play in conference matches and reeled off six consecutive performances with over a .300 hitting percentage to start SEC play. She also has been solid on defense and posted 1.10 blocks per set to rank sixth in league matches.
“We’ve tried to be a more balanced team after we were leaning on Angela a lot during the nonconference season,” Flory said. “To be successful in the SEC, we have to create opportunities for more than just one hitter. It’s started to work over the last couple of weekends and hopefully we’ll take another step forward this weekend.”
LSU’s back row has sustained its effective style of play. Lauren Waclawczyk, Sam Delahoussaye and Meghan Mannari are the focal point of why the Tigers have secured a 68 percent sideout efficiency [283-415] along with a 96 percent serve-receive rating [334-347] to start conference play. Waclawczyk has scooped up 4.02 digs per set to rank fifth, while her 0.32 aces per set are sixth in the SEC.
“We started preseason camp with the goal of siding out above 65 percent,” Flory said. “We felt we would a successful season if we could do that. That equates to not making hitting errors then you can rely on your defense if you don’t get a first ball kill. Our offense works in that regard. The balance of our kids handling the first ball is the biggest difference in our season. You have to credit Lauren, Sam and Meghan because they’re the soul of our team.”
Kentucky (8-8, 2-4 SEC) holds a 29-21 edge in the all-time series and has won the last four meetings. The Wildcats are paced by Lauren Rapp and her league-best .435 hitting clip in SEC matches. She recently became the 14th player in UK history to reach 1,000 career kills. Defensively, Stephanie Klefot has corralled 4.02 digs per set to rank sixth in the SEC.
Friday’s match is “Daddy-Daughter Date Night” where fans can receive a free youth ticket with the purchase of an adult ticket.
Live video and live stats will be available in the Geaux Zone on LSUsports.net. Fans also can follow live in-match updates on the team’s official blog at http://lsuvolleyball.posterous.com.