BATON ROUGE – After a brief two-match homestand, the LSU volleyball team returns to the road Friday and meets Mississippi State. Both programs will look to return to the win column as LSU dropped a tightly-contested, four-set decision to Missouri, while Mississippi State fell 3-1 to Ole Miss on Sunday.
First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside the Newell-Grissom Building, and a free live audio webcast will be available at www.LSUsports.net/live.
LSU (5-8, 1-3 SEC) has racked up a 50-7 series advantage over Mississippi State (4-8, 0-3 SEC) sparked by 12 consecutive victories dating back to the 2005 season. However, the Tigers had to battle back from a two-set deficit and erase a match point to secure a 3-2 comeback victory last season in Starkville.
A pair of freshmen, Sarah Nielsen and Taylor Scott, has carried the offensive load for the Bulldogs. Scott has turned in 3.02 kills and 2.98 digs per set, while Nielsen has chipped in 2.84 kills per set on a .296 hitting percentage. Lainey Wyman, a 2011 All-SEC Freshman Team pick, has returned to the lineup and cranked 81 kills at a 3.52 per set average on a .345 hitting clip. Defensively, Roxanne McVey headlines the SEC and ranks third nationally with an outstanding 6.04 digs per set.
“Mississippi State is a young, up-and-coming team,” head coach Fran Flory said. “At some point, I believe there are going to take off. They’re a quality team, and Wyman is a big physical middle. The building at Mississippi State is a difficult place to play. It’s a wide open venue where servers can stand 20 feet off the court if they choose. “
LSU’s back row defense has been solid in SEC action and posted 16.35 digs per set to rank fourth. Sam Delahoussaye has sprawled out for 71 scoops at a 4.18 per set average, ninth-best in league matches, while filling in for Meghan Mannari at the libero position.
Haley Smith is the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week after picking up consecutive 18-dig performances versus Kentucky and Missouri last weekend. The Delahoussaye-Smith duo also was a perfect 64-for-64 in reception attempts.
“It’s been really fun to watch Sam and Haley gain experience and maturity as they play,” Flory said. “Certainly, when we get Meghan back, it will be awfully exciting to have all three of them be able to contribute in different areas. I’ve extremely comfortable with how our ball control has been able to find its rhythm which will allow us to be much more efficient in transition.”
Offensively, the trio of Helen Boyle, Desiree Elliott and Madie Jones all rank among the SEC’s Top 20 in kills per set during conference matches. Only LSU and SEC leader Florida boast three different hitters in the rankings.
Boyle has returned to a six-rotation load and has powered home 3.29 kills along with 2.76 digs per set during SEC play. She has garnered double-doubles in consecutive matches and hammered 65 of her 98 kills over her last five appearances. Last weekend, Boyle ripped 18 kills to equal a career-high versus Kentucky and corralled a season’s best 17 digs against Missouri.
“Helen trained very hard during the spring and summer,” Flory said. “At the beginning of the season, she wasn’t able to reap the benefits of that hard work. Lately, we’ve been able to find a nice tempo and rhythm for her. Her confidence grows with every match. Helen has been able to able to finish plays. That’s a nice step for her and a nice step for this team.”
Elliott has been impressive in all facets of the game. She has connected for 15 or more kills and registered over a .300 hitting percentage in four of her last five matches. Her .328 hitting percentage in SEC action ranks ninth among the league leaders. Elliott also has tallied 18 of her 36 blocks since Sept. 8.
Jones has put together 10 or more kills seven times, including all five of LSU’s victories. She has reached double figure kills in five of her last outings going back to Sept. 8. Her 3.11 kills per set are 15th in the SEC.
Malorie Pardo has pieced together three straight double-doubles from the setter spot. She matched a career-high with 60 assists versus Kentucky and followed that up with a career-best 15 digs against Missouri. She sits ninth on LSU’s all-time assists list.
Khourtni Fears and Cati Leak have started all 13 matches in their freshmen seasons. Fears has recorded 1.12 blocks per set to rank sixth on the SEC leaderboard, while Leak has come away with a balanced 1.76 kills, 2.24 digs and 0.64 blocks per set.
In the last three matches, Madi Mahaffey has provided a lift off the bench. She has notched nine kills on 18 errorless swings and tacked on seven blocks.
“Madi has worked hard and deserves the opportunities she is getting,” Flory said. “I really thought Madi was a key part to our team winning the fifth set during the Kentucky match. As a coaching staff, we have to figure out the best way to use her. The great thing about Madi is she’s a fantastic team player. She can do a lot of things for us, and she’s committed to helping the team in any way she can.”
Dating back to the 2005 season, LSU has racked up a 164-63 record and is one of 25 programs nationally to secure bids to six of the last seven NCAA Tournaments.
The Tigers have collected seven consecutive SEC Western championships highlighted by the overall league championship in 2009. It’s the second longest streak in SEC history, only behind Florida’s 14-year run on top of the SEC’s Eastern Division from 1995-2008.
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 is free compliments of the Advocate’s “Geaux Free” program. At every home match, LSU will be collecting pet supplies at the fan zone as part of its “PAWS in the PMAC” campaign to benefit the Capital Area Animal Welfare Society.