Seven seasons ago, LSU volleyball embarked on a historic journey. Many things have changed through the years; there have been dramatic victories and hard-fought defeats.
Streaks have begun and ended; prolific players have emerged into decorated All-Americans and moved on. New talent has developed and taken the reigns of a proud program.
With 159 victories, seven consecutive SEC Western Division titles highlighted by the league’s overall championship in 2009 and a run of six straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 2005-10, head coach Fran Flory has guided LSU to a very successful stretch.
As in the past, the 2012 season is no different. A new year for a new team, but expectations still remain at the same high level. A core group of returnees fueled by five players in Helen Boyle, Desiree Elliott, Madie Jones, Meghan Mannari and Malorie Pardo coupled with a top 30 recruiting class from PrepVolleyball.com has positioned the Tigers to continue their championship tradition
First in a four-part series previewing the upcoming season takes a glance at what LSU fans can expect from the Tiger setters this fall.
BATON ROUGE – For the first time since 2009, LSU enters the season without having to replace its starting setter from the year before.
Malorie Pardo started in 27 matches and handed out 11.71 assists per set, ninth-best in program history for a single season. The 2011 All-SEC Freshman-Team honoree’s 11.71 helpers also were second in the SEC and ranked ninth nationally. She recorded 2.16 digs per set and notched a team-leading 11 double-doubles.
Jackie Gerig was showered with a variety of awards during her two seasons at Blinn College in Texas. She came away with 2010 NJCAA All-America Second-Team accolades followed by 2011 NJCAA All-America First-Team status. The Towanda, Ill., native distributed 11.04 assists per set, third-highest in the NJCAA, as her team put together a 38-0 season to secure the 2011 national championship.
“We’re excited about what Malorie and Jackie can bring to the table,” Flory said. “Both are outstanding students of the game who know how to control tempo, create offense and maintain momentum. As preseason camp unfolds, we’ll evaluate the benefits that each of them bring to our system.”
LSU, who is receiving votes in the preseason edition of the AVCA Top 25 poll, travels to the 26 West Longhorns Classic to open the 2012 season. The Tigers will square off with tournament host and No. 2 Texas [Friday – 6 p.m.] along with No. 19 San Diego [Saturday – 9 a.m.] and Cal Poly [Saturday – 4 p.m.].
All three matches will have free live audio and live stats inside the Geaux Zone on LSUsports.net, while the Texas match will be televised live on the Longhorn Network.
For all of the latest news and information on Tiger volleyball, visit www.lsusports.net/volleyball. Fans can also follow the program on its social media outlets at www.Facebook.com/lsuvolleyball along with @lsuvolleyball and @lsucoachfran on Twitter.
Admission to all 2012 home matches at the Maravich Center are free compliments of the Advocate’s “Geaux Free” program.