BATON ROUGE – The No. 12 LSU volleyball team makes its 2010 television debut Wednesday against Arkansas to conclude a three-match homestand. First serve for the ESPN U broadcast is set for 8 p.m. with Chris McGee and Kelli Tennant on the call.
LSU (16-1, 7-1 SEC) has bounced back from its lone loss of the 2010 season at No. 2 Florida with a trio of victories over South Carolina [3-0], Kentucky [3-0] and No. 22 Tennessee [3-1]. The Tigers rocketed up three spots to No. 12 in the latest edition of the AVCA Top 25 poll. The Tigers started the season at No. 23 and have advanced in the rankings during six of the seven polls.
“We were really thrilled with our weekend. I thought we played fast, played well and played efficiently,” head coach Fran Flory said. “The biggest thing that I was impressed with was our defense. Our back court defense was very solid and has been throughout the year, but our blocking really came into its own. To have blocking and back court defense, and the numbers that we put up in both matches, that is a huge step forward. It is something that we focused on today in practice and will continue to focus on throughout the rest of the season.”
Not only is LSU ranked inside the SEC’s Top 2 in five of the seven major categories, the Tigers also are among the NCAA’s Top 15 in kills per set [14.65], assists per set [13.68] and hitting percentage [.281].
Madie Jones, the reigning SEC Offensive Player of the Week, has hammered home 106 of her 166 kills over her last nine matches. Her 3.19 kills per set is just outside the SEC’s Top 10, while her .354 hitting clip is seventh during league matches.
“Madie has been a force for us as everyone knows,” Flory said. “It’s nice to have her be recognized. She is such an offensive threat, and she has been a go-to player for us. She has been kind of unheralded thus far. I am happy to see her get some recognition.”
Angela Bensend has headlined LSU’s offense with 251 kills and racked up double digit kills in 15 of 17 matches, including 11 straight efforts. She has smacked 4.40 kills per set to pace the SEC in addition to ranking No. 19 in the nation.
Brittney Johnson not only leads the SEC and checks in No. 27 nationally with 10.95 assists per set. She has set a balanced attack as LSU has three or more hitters with 10 or more kills in six of its last nine matches. The Baton Rouge native is coming off back-to-back double-doubles last weekend.
Michele Williams has ripped 199 kills for a scorching .359 hitting percentage. The 3.32 kills per set rank seventh and is highest among middle blockers, while her 1.03 blocks per set are tied for ninth in the SEC. The Magnolia, Texas, native is the only player in the conference to be ranked in kills per set, hitting percentage and blocks per set.
Desiree Elliott has made 17 strong starts to open her freshman campaign with the Tigers. Both her .410 hitting clip and 1.19 blocks per set are fourth in conference matches. She popped 10 kills to go along with six blocks last time out against No. 22 Tennessee. Both feats were one-shy of career-highs.
Lauren Waclawczyk, Sam Delahoussaye and Meghan Mannari have been the strength of LSU’s back row defense. The trio has fueled the Tigers to a 96 percent serve-receive effort coupled with an impressive 67 percent sideout efficiency to start SEC play.
Waclawczyk has corralled 241 digs and reached double figure digs in 13 of 16 matches highlighted by five 20-scoop efforts in 2010. The San Antonio, Texas, native also has cranked 0.33 aces per frame to rank sixth in the SEC’s Top 10.
Delahoussaye and Mannari have racked up a combined for 15 double digit dig performances and both have secured over 2.50 digs per frame.
Arkansas (9-10, 3-5 SEC) has ridden the right arm of Jasmine Norton, who ranks second and fifth in the SEC with 3.86 kills and 0.31 aces per set, respectively. The Razorbacks also sport Janeliss Torres, the SEC’s leading blocker with 1.30 stuffs per set.
“Arkansas is a very talented team and have been playing better throughout the year,” Flory said. “They had a chance to serve for the match against Tennessee. They’re a very confident team coming in here and a team that is looking to knock somebody off. We just need to make sure we play on our side and take care of business.”
Live video and live stats are 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.
The first 300 fans will receive foam RV’s as part of “Jump in the RV” night in honor of freeing Coach Flory over the summer that tripled @LSUVolleyball’s following on Twitter. LSU students will be treated to free pizza while supplies last.