BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU volleyball team opens the 2015 regular season on Friday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. inside Gregory Gym on the campus of the University of Texas against the UC Irvine Anteaters to start the American Campus Classic.
The opening tournament of the season features the Tigers, UCI, Rice and host Texas, the No. 3 team in the country according to the preseason AVCA Top 25 poll. LSU will take on the Anteaters on Friday to open, before going into the final day of play taking on the Owls at 10 a.m. Saturday then the Longhorns later that night at 7:30 p.m.
The entire American Campus Classic Tournament will be aired live on the Longhorn Network this weekend, along with being streamed online through WatchESPN. Only LHN subscribers will be able to stream the game online, as fans will need to authenticate their devices to be able to watch on their desktops, laptops, mobile and streaming devices. Live stats can be found at LSUsports.net, with updates through the team’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
After weeks of intense practice and training during the preseason, the Tigers open the 42nd season of volleyball at LSU on Friday with their sights set on continuing their run to postseason play at the end of the season for the third consecutive year coming off a 2014 campaign where the team went 20-9 and 14-4 in the Southeastern Conference.
But before getting to December, LSU’s five returning starters and 11 letterwinners from that team will turn its focus to a challenging opening weekend against a traditional power and two quality opponents in the first weekend of regular season competition.
“We have to understand that there is a process to this,” head coach Fran Flory said, entering her 18th season as the winningest head coach in program history. “There’s a period of growth – multiple periods of growth – and we need to get a little better every weekend we play.”
LSU enters the year led by a quartet of seniors in Emily Ehrle, Cati Leak, Katie Lindelow and Haley Smith, as each cover some of the strengths the team is looking to capitalize on for another season. Leak is a returning All-SEC performer from last year and the team’s leading kill producer, while Lindelow finished in the top three in kills and digs last season. After a year to transition, Ehrle will feature in the middle as a blocker, while Smith continues her climb up the record books in the digs column with a little more than 400 needed to become the all-time leader in the category.
“We have seasoned veterans at nearly every position on the floor,” Flory said. “Essentially, we got the core of our team back.”
Along with that core is a wealth of returning experience in underclassmen, all being sophomores now, in Kelly Esch, Mimi Eugene, Kelly Quinn, freshman All-SEC pick Gina Tillis and Cheyenne Wood. Redshirting last season, Toni Rodriguez is fully healthy and will add another arm to the attacking group.
After the departure of a four-year starter, the setter position is the only position that will have a completely new face after steady years of former player Malorie Pardo. Her replacement will work with a group that produced well, beginning with sophomore Elly Ogle, Wood and freshman Lindsay Flory all working at the position in the offseason.
“Starting a new setter is a little like starting a new quarterback at the beginning of the season,” Flory said. “Having to match up setter-for-setter will be a challenge, but the nice thing is we have the right supporting cast around the position that will help create the right situations for us this weekend.”
Flory is one of six newcomers for the Tigers this season, including transfer middle blocker Tiara Gibson and four other freshmen in Olivia Beyer, Katie Kampen, Michelle Irvin and Brittany Welsh.
This will be the first meeting against UC Irvine in program history, while LSU will renew somewhat recent rivalries against Rice and Texas.
“We are going to have to compete and trust our system and trust what we do,” Flory said. “If we do that the results will take care of themselves.”
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.
AT A GLANCE – AMERICAN CAMPUS CLASSIC
MATCHES
LSU (0-0) vs. UC Irvine (0-0)
LSU (0-0) vs. Rice (0-0)
LSU (0-0) at Texas (0-0)
DATE/TIME (CT)
Aug. 28 – 2:30 p.m.
Aug. 29 – 10 a.m.
Aug. 29 – 7:30 p.m.
FACILITY
Gregory Gym – Austin, Texas
AVCA RANKINGS
LSU – Receiving Votes
UC Irvine – NR
Rice – NR
Texas – No. 3
MULTIMEDIA
LSUsports.net – live audio and live stats
LIVE STREAM
WatchESPN
TV
Longhorn Network