NASHVILLE, Tenn. – After dropping two of the first three sets, LSU rallied to get back in the win column with a 3-2 (18-25, 25-15, 19-25, 25-21, 15-10) victory over Vanderbilt on Friday night at Memorial Gymnasium.
The Tigers improve to 10-8 on the season and 3-4 in SEC play, while the Commodores fall to 5-11 and 1-6 in conference play.
LSU registered 52 kills on a .256 hitting percentage and fired off a season-high 11 aces. The Tigers also held firm defensively with eight blocks and 56 digs. Vanderbilt countered with 57 kills on a .217 clip and seven aces, while edging LSU with 12 blocks and matching the Tigers’ 56 digs.
Outside hitter Jurnee Robinson continued her standout junior campaign by logging her 25th career double-double—and eighth of the season—with 17 kills and 12 digs. Robinson added two blocks and one ace and officially climbed to No. 4 on LSU’s rally scoring era all-time kills list with 1,189 career terminations.
Middle blocker Jessica Jones turned in a season-high 11 kills to go along with three aces and a team-best five blocks. Fellow pin hitter Nia Washington joined the double-digit club with 10 kills while matching her season highs of four blocks and three aces.
LSU’s two-setter system stayed steady as Lauren Brooker dished out 27 assists with one kill, one ace, and one block, while freshman Takyla Brown nearly secured a double-double of her own with 15 assists and nine digs.
In the backcourt, libero Laurel Cassidy and defensive specialist Aly Kirkhoff anchored the defense with 11 digs apiece. Kirkhoff also added two aces, and Cassidy chipped in one.
Set 1
Vanderbilt jumped out to a 7-1 lead when LSU signaled for its first timeout. Although the Commodores pushed their lead to 9-1, the Tigers rattled off seven unanswered points, cutting the deficit to 9-8 and forcing the home team to call a timeout. LSU would take its first lead at 15-14 behind a 3-0 run, but VU scored five of the following six points to regain a 19-16 advantage, and LSU called its final timeout of the set. Vanderbilt ultimately took the set 25-18, closing the frame on an 11-3 run.
Set 2
LSU scored the first four points of the stanza and was the first to 10 when Vandy called a timeout, trailing 10-4. LSU’s run continued on the other side of the break, and the Dores elected to use its final timeout down 14-5 with LSU on an overall 7-1 run, highlighted by a 5-0 burst. LSU stretched its lead to as many as 10 points and cruised to a 25-15 victory to even the set. The Tigers dominated the set with a .632 hitting percentage behind 12 kills on 19 swings and no errors. A trio of Jones, middle blocker Angelina Lee, and Robinson led LSU with three kills each, and Jones added one block.
Set 3
The Tigers called an early timeout down 10-7 and used their final timeout after trailing 16-11. Vanderbilt called a timeout with a 21-18 lead to break LSU’s momentum, and the Commodores took a 2-1 match lead with a 25-19 victory.
Set 4
The clubs played to a 5-5 tie before VU scored three in a row to pressure LSU into a timeout. The Bayou Bengals tied the set at 11, highlighted by a 3-0 run, and took a 16-14 lead when Vanderbilt used its first timeout of the set, thanks to another three unanswered points. The Commodores called their final timeout with the Tigers pulling away at 20-16, and a 3-1 response encouraged LSU to call its final timeout, clinging to a 21-19 lead. VU scored out of the timeout, but a kill by Robinson, followed by an ace from Jones, helped LSU force a fifth set after winning the set, 25-21. LSU hit .346 in the frame, led by five kills from Robinson, three kills from Lee, two kills and two aces from Jones, and a kill and two blocks from Washington.
Set 5
LSU scored the first four points of the set that featured a pair of aces from Washington when Vanderbilt called a timeout. The Tigers held a 6-1 lead, and although the Dores fought their way back into the set, the clubs switched sides with LSU on top 8-6. The Tigers scored four of the following six points for a 12-8 lead when the Commodores used their final timeout. VU scored the first two points after the timeout, but a couple of attacking errors by the home team, Robinson sealed the match with her 17th kill.
Up Next
LSU treks to Columbia, Mo., to face Missouri at 2 p.m. CT on Sunday, Oct. 19, at Hearnes Center on SEC Network.
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