Friday: Outside Hitters
Saturday: Middle Blockers
LSU volleyball has garnered an impressive 140-44 mark and is one of 18 programs in the nation to secure six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances en route to the nation’s 11th-best winning percentage going back to the 2005 season.
A core group of returnees fueled by 2011 All-SEC Preseason performers Michele Williams and Desiree Elliott coupled with a top 20 recruiting class from PrepVolleyball.com has positioned the Tigers to continue their championship tradition by making a run at its unprecedented seventh straight SEC Western Division title and NCAA Tournament berth.
Second in a four-part series previewing the upcoming season takes a glance at what LSU fans can expect from the Tiger middle blockers this fall.
BATON ROUGE – Senior Michele Williams and sophomore Desiree Elliott give LSU a dynamic 1-2 punch in the middle. Both were All-SEC performers in 2010 with Elliott capturing the SEC’s Freshman of the Year award. The duo teamed to rack up 600 kills which accounted for 39 percent of LSU’s offense last season.
Williams, an AVCA All-South Region Honorable Mention pick, powered home 3.12 kills per set to check in at eighth place in the SEC rankings. She blasted 13 of her 18 double figure kill performances against league opponents and registered 90 blocks, tied for second-most on the team.
Elliott broke loose for over a .300 hitting percentage in 20 of LSU’s 30 matches highlighted by a .337 clip to pace SEC freshman in league play. She also was dominant at the net en route to a team-best 109 blocks and a 1.02 per set average which was 10th in the SEC.
“We are fortunate to have two outstanding middles in Michele and Desi that bring something unique to the table,” head coach Fran Flory said. “I think Michele is extremely motivated for her senior year and has a lot of confidence which will show on the court. Desi has a chance to build on her very special freshman season. She picks things up quickly on the court and continues to maximize her athletic ability.”
Freshmen Marissa Maas, Madi Mahaffey and Brittani Peska are additional candidates that can see time in the middle. Maas notched multiple 23-5A All-District honors as a standout at Travis High School in Texas, while Mahaffey secured 6A All-State First-Team accolades at Vestavia High School in Alabama. Peska is a versatile threat who could also see swings at right side.
“Our depth at middle is a strength of this team,” Flory said. “Marissa, Madi and Brittani come to us with a solid base of fundamentals and will raise the level of play on both sides of the net in our gym significantly. They still have individual things to work on, but each possess attributes that fit directly into our system.”
LSU plays host to its annual Purple & Gold Scrimmage Saturday at 7 p.m. before the Tigers open the regular season by welcoming Alcorn State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Jacksonville State and 2010 NCAA Tournament participant Miami, Fla. to the Maravich Center for the Tiger Classic on Aug. 26-27.
Fans are encouraged to take advantage of the Geaux Free program for all home matches this season compliments of The Advocate. The Tigers have compiled a 62-10 home mark since 2005.
For all of the latest information on LSU volleyball, log on to http://www.lsusports.net/volleyball or follow the program’s social media outlets at http://twitter.com/lsuvolleyball or LSU Volleyball on Facebook.