ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The LSU volleyball team dropped its first match of the Michigan Challenge, falling in straight sets to RV Colorado State by scores of 23-25, 22-25, 23-25 Friday morning in Cliff Keen Arena. The Tigers are now 2-5 on the year, while Colorado State improves to 5-2.
Sophomore Taylor Bannister led the attack with 14 kills, while sophomore Raigen Cianciulli anchored the back row once again, recording 13 digs. Senior Lindsay Flory finished with 33 assists.
UP NEXT
- LSU continues the Michigan Challenge by taking on host No. 20 Michigan at 6 p.m. CT in Cliff Keen Arena. The Tigers will then take on Oakland in Rochester, Michigan on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. CT.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Tigers started off the match on a 4-0 run, getting a big kill and block from freshman Whitney Foreman.
- Colorado State worked its way back and tied the set up at 5-5. The two teams went point-for-point until the Tigers took a two-point lead at 15-13 after a kill by Jacqui Armer.
- Colorado State went on a 4-0 run to take a 17-15 lead on the Tigers, forcing LSU to use its first timeout of the set.
- The Tigers used a 4-1 run and a Lindsay Flory ace to tie the set up 19-19.
- After going point-for-point, Raigen Cianciulli recorded an ace for the Tigers to take a 23-22 lead, forcing the Rams to take a timeout.
- Colorado State finished the set on a 3-0 run to claim the first set over the Tigers, 25-23.
- Taylor Bannister led the Tigers with seven kills in the first set. The Tigers hit .163 to Colorado State’s .333.
- The second set opened up with both teams going back and forth. Colorado State went up 7-5 but back-to-back points by the Tigers, including an ace from Bannister tied up the set for the Tigers, 7-7.
- Colorado State took a 12-10 lead but the Tigers tied it up, 12-12, off a big block from Bannister on the outside. CSU went on another run to take a 16-13 lead, forcing the Tigers to a timeout.
- LSU tried to work its way back after a kill from Lindsay Flory, but the Tigers still trailed 23-18 to the Rams, forcing the Tigers to take its second timeout of the set.
- CSU called for a timeout after the Tigers put together back-to-back points. LSU held off the Rams for two set points, but CSU claimed the set 25-22, taking a 2-0 lead on the match. .
- The Tigers outhit the Rams in the second set, .300-.257. Bannister and Foreman each had three kills each.
- Colorado State jumped out to a 7-4 lead on the Tigers in the third set and pushed to an 11-6 lead. The Tigers called for a timeout as CSU went up 13-7.
- LSU went on a 3-0 run to bring the Tigers within three, 16-13. But CSU responded with back-to-back points to go up 18-13. The Tigers answered with back-to-back points off a block by Armer and Flory and a kill from Flory to bring the Tigers within three again, 18-15.
- Another 3-0 run for the Tigers brought them within two, 21-19, forcing the Rams to take their final timeout of the set. Out of the timeout the Tigers got a block from Bannister and Foreman to come within one, 21-20.
- LSU used its final timeout of the set after Colorado State scored back-to-back points, taking a 23-20 lead.
- A big block from Foreman tied up the set 23-23, but Colorado State scored two-straight to take the set, 25-23 and the match, 3-0.
NOTABLES
- Bannister led the Tigers for the seventh-straight match, tallying 14 kills.
- Cianciulli led the back row for the seventh-straight match, recording 13 digs.
- The Tigers out-blocked the Rams, 9.0-8.0.
- Foreman finished with a career-high nine kills, hitting .263 for the match.
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