BATON ROUGE, La. – Early Monday morning at the practice facility inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, the LSU volleyball team launched headfirst into 2015 season with the start of preseason camp just weeks away from the opening tournament of the year in Texas.
Monday was the first time the entire team was able to practice together, as the returners were able to train in the spring as a group, while adding five freshmen newcomers to the fold heading into the campaign which starts with the American Campus Classic hosted by the University of Texas August 28-29 in Austin.
“There’s a lot of excitement that surrounds the first practice of the season, and I think we were able to get a lot out of the team that we will be able to build upon today and going forward,” head coach Fran Flory said. “We are going to push them in every practice to get them prepared for the season ahead, and this morning was a good first step in that process.”
The 8 a.m. practice was the first of two to open camp on Monday with the other coming in the afternoon, as the Tigers will have their own set of two-a-days over the course of the next two weeks. In between that time, LSU will also participate in a handful of events including LSU Fan Day on Sunday, Move-In Day next Wednesday and the team’s annual Kids Clinic and Purple & Gold Scrimmage next Thursday.
The festivities began in earnest on Sunday as the players reported to campus to move into residence halls, had meetings at the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes and receiving their equipment before ending the evening with the annual team and staff dinner at Flory’s house.
LSU is coming off of a 20-9 campaign in 2014 season, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season where the squad advanced to the second round of the NCAA Eugene Regional. The Tigers earned that berth by going on a tear in league play, winning 11 straight matches en route to finishing third in the Southeastern Conference with a 14-4 league mark.
The team will be led by its four-member senior class, featuring Emily Ehrle, All-SEC performer Cati Leak, Katie Lindelow and Haley Smith guiding the team through the 29-game slate. No member of that group started fewer than 19 games in 2014, with Leak and Smith serving as the team’s leading kill and dig producers.
With a fresh set of seven newcomers last year, a season of growth adds to the overall depth of the group in the return of All-SEC Freshman Team member Gina Tillis, along with Kelly Esch, Mimi Eugene, Elly Ogle, Kelly Quinn and Cheyenne Wood. After redshirting the 2014 season, Toni Rodriguez has participated in both the spring and now fall workouts and will be a factor heading into the new year.
LSU added six newcomers in the offseason, one being transfer middle Tiara Gibson, who joined the squad from South Dakota State and will be a junior in 2015. The final five will all be true freshmen that have come with a true pedigree to compete right away in Olivia Beyer, Lindsay Flory, Michelle Irvin, Katie Kampen and Brittany Welsh.
Four non-conference tournaments await LSU to open the year, beginning the season August 28 against UC Irvine at Gregory Gym, as the team will have 11 non-league opponents to prepare them for the 18-game conference slate that begins Wednesday, September 23 against the Arkansas Razorbacks inside the PMAC on ESPNU.
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 and @lsuvb on Instagram.
2015 LSU Volleyball Preseason Practice Schedule – Times Subject to Change
Tuesday, August 11
8:30-11 a.m.
3-6 p.m.
Wednesday, August 12
2:30-5:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 13
8:30-11 a.m.
3-6 p.m.
Friday, August 14
8:30-11 a.m.
3-6 p.m.
Saturday, August 15
1:30-4:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 16
8:30-11 a.m.
4-5 p.m. – LSU Fan Day [Maddox Field House]
Monday, August 17
12-1:30 p.m. – LSU Soccer/ Volleyball Media Day | Watch/Listen Live
Tuesday, August 18
8:30-11 a.m.
3-6 p.m.
Wednesday, August 19
10 a.m. – LSU Move-In Day
2:30-5:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 20
5:30-7 p.m. – Kids Clinic
7 p.m. – Purple & Gold Scrimmage
Friday, August 21
8:30-11 a.m.
3-6 p.m.
Saturday, August 22
1:30-4:30 p.m.
Match Week
Sunday, August 23
OFF
Monday, August 24
2-5 p.m.
Tuesday, August 25
2-5 p.m.
Wednesday, August 26
2-5 p.m.
Thursday, August 27
Travel to Austin, Texas
Friday, August 28
vs. UC Irvine – 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 29
vs. Rice – 10 a.m.
at Texas – 7:30 p.m.