Overall Record: 3-1
SEC Record: 0-0
SEC Standings: 2nd West
AVCA Ranking: Receiving Votes
Last Week: 3-1
Aug. 26 – Alcorn State [W, 3-0 – 25-7, 25-14, 25-12]
Aug. 26 – Louisiana-Lafayette [W, 3-0 – 25-13, 25-13, 25-6]
Aug. 27 – Jacksonville State [W, 3-0 – 25-9, 25-14, 25-12]
Aug. 27 – Miami [L, 3-2 – 25-27, 25-13, 25-16, 22-25, 8-15]
Nominee for Offensive Player of the Week
Desiree Elliott, MB, So., Cypress, Texas
Elliott, the reigning SEC Freshman of the Year, claimed Tiger Classic All-Tournament Team accolades as LSU opened the 2011 season with a 3-1 record. Elliott’s 38 kills at a 3.45 per set ratio on a .411 hitting percentage were sixth-best in the SEC. The Cypress, Texas, native also added 0.82 blocks, 0.64 digs and 0.55 aces per set. Elliott was near perfect and pounded 14 kills on 18 swings for a career-best .722 hitting percentage against Louisiana-Lafayette. She also cranked out 15 kills and added three blocks against 2010 NCAA Tournament participant Miami.
GP Kills Err. Att. Pct. Assists Aces Rec * Err Rec * Att Digs BS BA TB Team ** Hit Pct.
11 38 8 73 .411 0 6 0 1 7 1 8 9 .314
Nominee for Defensive Player of the Week
Meghan Mannari, DS, Jr., Frisco, Texas
Mannari was stellar as LSU’s defense held its opponents to a SEC-best and paltry .068 hitting percentage as the Tigers posted a 3-1 opening weekend. She ascended into the starting libero role and racked up a SEC-leading 5.09 digs per set en route to Tiger Classic Defensive MVP and All-Tournament honors. The Frisco, Texas, native sprawled out for a career-high 36 digs versus 2010 NCAA Tournament participant Miami, the second-highest output in program history for a single match only behind former All-American Elena Martinez’s 43 digs at Alabama during the 2007 season. Mannari also ripped 11 aces at a SEC-high 1.00 per set ratio. Her seven aces versus Jacksonville State were a career-high sparked by four in a row to secure the sweep in the third set.
Totals for the Week
SP Kills Err Att PCT Assists Aces Digs BS BA TB Team * Hitting %
11 1 0 2 .500 12 11 56 0 0 0 .314
Nominee for Freshman of the Week
Malorie Pardo, S, Fr., League City, Texas
Pardo was a key cog to LSU’s 3-1 opening weekend at the Tiger Classic. In her first career start, Pardo set the Tigers to a scorching .638 hitting percentage against Louisiana-Lafayette. The .638 clip was not only a LSU single match mark, but set a SEC individual match record edging Georgia’s .630 performance versus Clemson from 1982. The Pearland High School product also fueled 2011 All-SEC Preseason Team selections Desiree Elliott and Michele Williams along with Madie Jones to individual career-high attack percentages. For encore performances, Pardo guided the Tigers to a .403 ratio during a sweep of Jacksonville State and posted her first career double-double by handing out 53 assists to go along with 15 digs during a 3-2 setback to 2010 NCAA Tournament participant Miami. For the weekend, Pardo averaged 10.67 assists and 2.58 digs per set.
Totals for the Week
SP Kills Err. Att. Pct. Assists Aces Rec * Err Rec * Att Digs BS BA TB Team ** Hit Pct.
12 3 2 13 .077 128 3 0 0 31 0 5 5 .314
Notes on the Tigers
The LSU volleyball team secured a 3-1 opening weekend behind sweeps over Alcorn State, Jacksonville State and Louisiana-Lafayette at the Tiger Classic. Desiree Elliott, Madie Jones and Meghan Mannari took home Tiger Classic All-Tournament honors with Mannari securing the Defensive MVP award. LSU’s offense posted over a .300 hitting percentage during 10 of the 11 sets won over the weekend. Making her first career start, Malorie Pardo ignited the Tigers to not only a program single match mark but a SEC single match record with a .638 hitting clip versus Louisiana-Lafayette. Pardo also fueled Elliott, Jones and Michele Williams to career-best hitting ratios during the match. During a 3-2 setback against Miami, Mannari racked up a career-high 36 digs. It was the second-most in program history for single match only behind former All-American Elena Martinez’s 43 digs at Alabama during the 2007 season. The Frisco, Texas, native paced the SEC and secured 5.07 digs per set as LSU’s starting libero. She also ripped 11 aces highlighted by a four straight to wrap up a sweep over Jacksonville State. LSU embarks on an eight-match road swing starting next weekend at the New Mexico State Tournament where the Tigers will face Arkansas-Little Rock, Grambling and host New Mexico State. Dating back to the 2005 season, LSU has collected a 143-45 record and claimed six consecutive SEC Western Division titles. The Tigers also have tallied the nation’s 11th-best winning percentage and are one of 18 programs nationally to secure six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances since 2005.