KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Michele Williams connected for 14 of her team-high 15 kills and a scorching .440 hitting percentage over the final three sets as the No. 15 LSU volleyball team outslugged No. 21 Tennessee (18-25, 25-23, 26-24, 25-21) Friday inside Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Tigers (23-2, 14-2 SEC) notched their six consecutive victory and maintained their 2.5 match lead over Ole Miss in the SEC Western Division race.
“This match was truly a grind for both teams,” head coach Fran Flory said. “Neither team was able to get on track because of the defensive gameplans. The blocking and back court defense caused trouble on both sides of the net. Certainly, we’re fortunate and excited to come out with the win.”
Brittney Johnson nearly missed a triple-double and carved up the Lady Vols (21-6, 12-5 SEC) for 43 assists coupled with nine kills and eight digs. It marked the 11th time that the Baton Rouge native surpassed the 40-assist plateau on the season.
Johnson fueled the LSU attack to a .333 to .224 advantage in digs-to-kills ratio aided by strong transition play. Desiree Elliott and Madie Jones tacked on 10 kills apiece, while Tania Schatow continued her superb play with six kills on a .400 hitting ratio and equaled a season-high with seven blocks.
LSU’s passing was stellar behind a 99 percent ratio highlighted by Angela Bensend‘s 39 flawless receptions. She also tallied 13 digs, five kills, four assists and four blocks.
“Brittney did an all-around great job,” Flory said. “After the first set, they took her offense away and our hitters were more available. I’m really proud of her ability to bounce back after some uncertainty. We grew up as a team, same with Bensend. When one part of her game wasn’t where we need it to be, she did a fantastic job to create for other people. That’s a tribute to a great player and a true leader.”
Lauren Waclawczyk sparked a back row that was up to task and reeled in 14 digs to extend her run to 12 straight matches with double figure scoops. Meghan Mannari also totaled 11 digs of her own.
After splitting the first 22 points of the first set, Tennessee forced the Tigers into seven hitting miscues to build a 19-12 advantage. LSU charged back to within five points on four separate occasions, the latest at 23-18, but the Lady Vols answered to take the opening frame, 25-18.
Tied at 14-14 in set two, LSU ran off four of the next five points to surge ahead 18-15 as Bensend got involved in a trio of blocks. Tennessee crept back with a 5-1 run of its own to take a 20-19 edge. Williams provided the Tigers with a strong finishing kick and belted three consecutive sideout spikes to put LSU up 23-22. The two teams traded sideouts before a Jones crosscourt kill ended a long rally to claim the 25-23 win and evened the match at a set apiece.
“It was important that we executed at a high level and played to our ability,” Johnson said. “We’ve been practicing playing fast. It was great to find a rhythm and it felt like the beginning of the season when we just went out there and played.”
Out of the locker room, the third set provided more high drama as the two squads exchanged 11 ties and six lead changes. Once again, LSU found its late-set moxie. Following a Tennessee attack error that evened the ledger at 23-23, Waclawczyk slapped an ace that caught the back service line. Deadlocked at 24-24 after a UT sideout, Elliott and Bensend garnered back-to-back kills to secure the 26-24 triumph.
LSU used that momentum and rode Williams’ right arm to five quick kills and fired out to a 14-10 edge to open set four. The Lady Vols moved back to 16-15, but would get no closer as the Tigers fended off Tennessee with a match-best 71 percent sideout efficiency. Elliott and Jones combined for five kills down the stretch to put the finishing touches on the 25-21 victory.
“Once we get into a flow, it was easy to hit our shots,” Williams said. “Every match we play from here on out is important. The main thing is to take things one point at a time and not look at the big picture.”
Kelsey Robinson posted a career-high 16 kills and added 14 digs, while Kayla Jeter chipped in 13 kills and four blocks for Tennessee. The Tigers limited Nikki Fowler, who entered the match with the SEC’s fourth-highest kills per set average, to nine spikes and a trifling .086 hitting mark.
LSU finishes its last SEC road weekend with a trip to Kentucky. First serve for Sunday’s match is on-tap for 12:30 p.m. CT at Memorial Coliseum.
Live stats are available on LSUsports.net inside the Geaux Zone. Fans also can follow live in-match updates on the team’s official blog at http://lsuvolleyball.posterous.com.