CORAL GABLES, Fla. – LSU rallied from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Tulsa, 3-2 (25-20, 21-25, 23-25, 25-20, 15-10), on Friday evening at the Knight Sports Complex to split the Canes Classic.
LSU (5-4) held Tulsa (8-2), which entered the match with a top-10 victory on its resume, to a .176 hitting percentage behind a season-high 14.0 blocks and 65 digs. The Tigers have now recorded double-digit blocks in seven matches this season, including each of their last five.
Middle blocker Sanaa Donaie matched a career high with eight blocks, including a career-best three solo blocks. She also added six kills.
Freshman libero Kiley Brooks led all players with 19 digs and added an ace to anchor the defense.
Offensively, LSU hit .245 with 55 kills and 52 assists while recording a season-high six aces in the win.
Outside hitter Jurnee Robinson posted her fifth double-double and fifth 20-plus-kill performance of the season with 25 kills on a .392 hitting percentage and 12 digs. She also added four blocks and matched a season high with three aces, totaling a match-high 30.5 points.
Setter Lauren Brooker recorded her second double-double of the weekend with 43 assists and 14 digs while adding two blocks, an ace and a kill. Right side Camryn Jeffery contributed 10 kills, while outside hitter Samara Coleman added eight.
Set 1
LSU built an early 6-3 lead behind a 4-0 run. Tulsa knotted the score at 8-8, but the Tigers maintained their advantage and led 15-13 at the media timeout.
The Golden Hurricane took its first timeout trailing 17-13 after kills from Robinson and middle blocker Jessica Jones and used its final timeout four points later with LSU leading, 19-15. LSU was forced to call its first timeout with Tulsa threatening at 21-19, but the Tigers scored four of the final five points to take the opening set, 25-20.
LSU hit .321 with 14 kills in the set and recorded four blocks while holding Tulsa to a .097 hitting percentage. Robinson led all players with seven kills and hit .455, while Donaie and Jones split four kills evenly, with both hitting .667. Donaie also led all players with three blocks.
Set 2
The Bayou Bengals scored the first three points of the set and led 6-2 before the Golden Hurricane ripped off a 5-0 run to take a 7-6 lead, forcing an LSU timeout. Tulsa stretched its advantage to 13-10 before taking a 15-13 lead into the media timeout.
LSU scored four of the next five points to regain a 17-16 lead, but Tulsa entered the red zone first with a 20-17 advantage after four unanswered points, prompting the Tigers to call their final timeout.
LSU trimmed the deficit to two points several times, but the Golden Hurricane evened the match with a 25-21 victory.
Set 3
LSU called an early timeout with Tulsa leading, 8-4, and entered the media timeout trailing 15-12.
The Tigers pieced together a 5-3 run to cut the deficit to one at 18-17 but called their final timeout after a Tulsa ace and an LSU error extended the Golden Hurricane's lead to 21-17.
LSU threatened late with a 6-3 run to make it a one-point set at 24-23, but Tulsa closed out the frame, 25-23, to take a 2-1 match lead.
Set 4
Tulsa jumped out to another 8-4 advantage, but LSU scored two quick points out of the timeout and five of the next six to take a 10-9 lead. The Tigers carried a 15-13 advantage into the media timeout behind a 3-0 run.
LSU continued to add to its lead, moving ahead 18-14 before Tulsa called timeout.
The Tigers did not let off the gas, entering the red zone with a 21-14 lead behind an overall 9-1 run and forcing the Golden Hurricane to use its final timeout. LSU held off Tulsa to force a fifth set with a 25-20 victory.
LSU hit .478 with 14 kills in the set. Coleman and Robinson led the way with four kills apiece, while Donaie and Jeffery followed with three each.
Set 5
Consecutive aces by Robinson forced Tulsa to call its first timeout with LSU ahead 6-3 and its final timeout trailing 8-4 as the Tigers extended their lead with a 5-1 run.
Tulsa responded with three unanswered points to trim the deficit to 8-7, encouraging an LSU timeout. The Tigers pushed their lead back to 11-7 and kept the Golden Hurricane at a distance before Robinson capped the match with back-to-back kills for the 15-10 victory.
Up Next
LSU begins its SEC slate at the Maravich Center at 7 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Sept. 23, against Alabama.
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