BATON ROUGE, La. – An overwhelming finish in the fifth set propelled LSU to a 3-2 (25-23, 20-25, 25-19, 24-26, 15-3) victory over Alabama in its SEC opener Friday night at the Maravich Center.
LSU (6-4, 1-0 SEC) improves to 3-1 in five-set matches this season and 27-17 in SEC home-opening matches. The Tigers snapped Alabama’s (8-2, 0-1 SEC) six-match winning streak and improved to 46-31 all-time against the Crimson Tide, including a 25-6 mark when playing in Baton Rouge.
Although the match remained competitive through the first four sets, LSU held the statistical advantage in kills (60-50), hitting percentage (.209-.148) and assists (52-45) while also recording a season-high seven aces. Defensively, the Tigers held Alabama to a .148 hitting percentage while recording 63 digs and 13.0 blocks.
Friday marked LSU’s sixth consecutive match holding an opponent under a .200 attacking percentage while recording 10 or more blocks.
Outside hitter Jurnee Robinson recorded a 22-kill, 12-dig double-double for her sixth of the season and 35th of her career. She also added two blocks and 23.0 total points.
Middle blocker Jessica Jones posted a season-high 12 kills on a .474 hitting percentage while adding four blocks.
Right side Camryn Jeffery recorded her fourth double-digit kill performance in a five-match stretch, finishing with 10 kills and matching a season best with five blocks, including one solo stop. She also recorded her first career ace.
Middle blocker Sanaa Donaie led all players with seven blocks, marking her third consecutive match with at least six blocks. Donaie and defensive specialist Emilee Prochaska each recorded a career-high two aces.
Libero Kiley Brooks recorded a match-high 17 digs and added an ace, while setter Lauren Brooker finished with 40 assists, eight digs, three blocks and three kills.
Set 1
LSU used a 3-0 run to build a 7-4 lead, but Alabama responded with five unanswered points to take a 9-7 advantage. The Tigers knotted the score at 10-10, regained the lead at 13-12 and entered the media timeout with a 15-13 edge.
The Crimson Tide scored five straight points out of the timeout to take an 18-15 lead, but the Tigers responded with a 4-0 run of their own to regain the lead at 19-18 and force an Alabama timeout.
LSU was the first team to reach the red zone and forced Alabama to call its final timeout with a 23-21 advantage. The Crimson Tide rallied to tie the set at 23-23, but an Alabama service error followed by a Jeffery kill gave LSU a 25-23 set win.
Robinson led LSU with seven kills and a block, while Jones added four kills and a block. The first set featured 13 ties and five lead changes.
Set 2
The teams battled through 10 ties before kills by Brooker and outside hitter Samara Coleman gave LSU a 15-13 lead at the media timeout.
Alabama scored seven of the next nine points, including four in a row, to take a 20-17 lead while forcing LSU to use both of its timeouts. The Crimson Tide evened the match with a 25-20 set-two victory, closing the frame on a 12-5 run.
Set 3
LSU capitalized on four Alabama attacking errors and two service errors to build a 7-3 lead and force a Crimson Tide timeout.
Alabama cleaned up its play and pulled within one point at 9-8, but the Tigers maintained their advantage and entered the media timeout leading 15-11 behind a 3-0 run.
LSU pushed its lead to five points, prompting another Alabama timeout with the Tigers ahead 19-14. The Crimson Tide trimmed the deficit to 21-18, prompting LSU to call its first timeout of the set, but the Tigers maintained control and scored four of the final five points to claim a 25-19 victory.
The Bayou Bengals hit .276 in the set while holding Alabama to a .034 attacking percentage, recording 11 digs and two blocks.
Set 4
The Tigers fell behind 6-2 early and called their first timeout of the set, but Alabama maintained its momentum and held a 15-10 advantage at the media timeout.
A 3-0 LSU run featuring a Robinson kill, a solo block by Donaie and an ace by Brooker forced Alabama to call a timeout while holding a 17-15 lead. The Tigers continued to apply pressure after the break, tying the set at 19-19, but were forced to use their final timeout while trailing 22-19.
The Bayou Bengals pressured Alabama into another timeout after pulling within one at 23-22 and then tied the set at 24-24. However, the Crimson Tide evened the match with a 26-24 victory to force a fifth set.
Set 5
A combo block by Donaie and Jeffery, followed by consecutive aces from Prochaska, forced Alabama to call a quick timeout with LSU leading 3-0.
Another Donaie-Jeffery block extended the Tigers' lead to 4-0, and LSU stretched its advantage to 9-1 before Alabama called its final timeout.
The Tigers remained in complete control, cruising to a 15-3 victory. LSU posted a 100-percent sideout rate, hit .600 in the set on seven kills and held Alabama to a -.167 attacking percentage.
Up Next
LSU returns to action Sunday, Sept. 27, when the Tigers travel to Starkville, Miss., for a 2 p.m. CT match against Mississippi State. The match will be streamed on SEC Network+.
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