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Volleyball Takes Down Sam Houston in Four Sets

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Volleyball Takes Down Sam Houston in Four Sets

HOUSTON – The LSU Volleyball team handed Sam Houston its second loss of the season as the Tigers defeated the Bearkats, 3-1, Saturday afternoon in Tudor Fieldhouse.

After dropping the first set, 25-18, the Tigers found their rhythm halfway through the second set, never looking back. LSU went on to win the second set, 25-15, the third set, 25-20 and the fourth set, 25-13. The Tigers bounced back after being swept by Rice last night.

“We settled into who we are and what we are capable of doing,” said head coach Fran Flory. “We finally allowed ourselves to be us.”

Kylie Deberg led the Tigers once again with 17 kills, her sixth consecutive match with double-digit kills. Sanaa Dotson stepped up for the Tigers with her first match with double-digit kills at LSU, finishing with 15. Ella Larkin had a double-double with 41 assists and 10 digs.

“Ella did a really good job of moving the ball around and creating and making the right choice at the right time,” Flory said.

Whitney Foreman had 10 kills for LSU, becoming the first player since Jacqui Armer in 2017 with double-digit blocks.

Sam Houston had three players with double-digit kills, led by Ashley Lewis who had 13.

The Tigers did a great job of limiting their errors against the Bearkats, allowing the offense to run smoothly. LSU only had 7 attack errors, killing balls at a .368 rate, its highest hitting percentage of the season. LSU also played physically at the net, out-blocking Sam Houston, 15-2.

“When we’re smart offensively and hitting the right shots, we can score against anybody,” said Flory.

Set One 

  • In her first start of her career, Ellie Echter registered a kill on the first point of the match. After her second kill in as many swings, Echter fired an ace to put the Tigers up, 4-2.
  • Sam Houston took its first lead of the set, 8-7, after LSU was called for a net violation. The Bearkats went up three after an ace and a kill. 
  • Still trailing three, Whitney Foreman got a big kill down the center of the court for the Tigers, kick-starting a 3-0 LSU run to tie it up as Sam Houston took a timeout.
  • The Bearkats came out of the timeout with energy, going on its own 3-0 run to force the Tigers to take a timeout, going up 15-12.
  • LSU could not close the gap and late in the set Sam Houston went on another 3-0 run to go up, 22-16.
  • Sam Houston closed out the first set, 25-18.

Set Two

  • Sam Houston scored the first two points of the set, but kills by Sanaa Dotson and Foreman tied it up. LSU took a 4-3 lead a few points later after Sam Houston was called for a double on the set.
  • The teams teetered back and forth. Sam Houston would take a lead and then a couple points later LSU would retake the lead. In total there were five lead changes during the second set and seven tie scores.
  • LSU took the first multi-point lead of the set, 10-8, since Sam Houston started 2-0.
  • Dotson provided a big kill to put the Tigers up 12-9, forcing a Sam Houston timeout. Her and Foreman combined for two double-blocks out of the timeout as LSU put together a 7-0 run, breaking the set open as Sam Houston took its second timeout.
  • LSU ran away with the second set, 25-15, hitting a blistering .438.

Set Three

  • The teams remained close at the beginning of the set, tied at four after eight points.
  • From there, LSU went on a 4-0 run to go up, 8-4.
  • After Kylie Deberg got a powerful kill to give LSU a 3-0 run and put the Tigers up 12-7, the Bearkats took a timeout.
  • The Tigers stayed in complete control, going on another 3-0 run to go up, 20-14.
  • Sam Houston did not go quietly, putting a run together to bring the Bearkats within three before LSU was able to shut the door on the set, 25-20.
  • The Tigers limited their attack errors to just one to stay efficient throughout the set.

Set Four

  • The Tigers scored the first two points of the fourth set with a Whitney Foreman and Sanaa Dotson block and then a Raigen Cianciulli service ace. LSU held a multi-point lead throughout the first part of the set.
  • The momentum kept rolling for LSU, taking the fourth set, 25-13, never trailing.
  • Kylie Deberg and Sanaa Dotson both hit over .500 in the set, finishing with eight and five kills in the set, respectively.