BATON ROUGE, La. — The LSU beach volleyball team participated in the third annual Purple and Gold Scrimmage at Mango’s Beach Volleyball Club off of Sherwood Forest on Saturday.
The scrimmage was composed of multiple sets and was considered a last tune-up before the season begins next week .The main focus was to finalize certain roster spots and determine chemistry between other pairs who will have the chance to compete throughout the season.
“This was part of our process of developing that final lineup,” explained associate head coach Russell Brock. “We had people playing with different people and some matchups that we wanted to see how they would do together. We had some pretty good ideas on some of the matchups on where we want to go. It was a combination of giving them some experience together and just looking at some options on what the final roster is going to look like. It was a critical part for our process.”
The scrimmage was also a way for Lilly Kessler and Mandi Orellana to work themselves back into the lineup after recovering from their injuries, and it also allowed the freshmen to work on their game before playing in their first collegiate match.
“They’re in the process of getting back in and getting comfortable in the sand, but they’ve both been playing great,” said coach Brock. “We also have a great group of freshmen. They’ve proven that they’re willing and able to get in and contribute and fight and make things difficult to decide, which is where we want to be.”
After the scrimmage, the players and coaches put on a children’s clinic that allowed kids to interact and get involved with the team out on the courts.
“I think that it’s something that’s really necessary for our beginning of the season,” said coach Brock. “There’s nothing better than giving back to people who are excited about being around us and supporting our program.”
LSU will face Jacksonville State next Friday at the FIU Beach Invitational in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 8 a.m.
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