#3 Laura Whalen Season 2013
SENIOR SEASON (2014)
Finished her LSU career playing in 27 total matches and 91 combined sets played… Earned three kills on eight attempts for a .375 average, while dishing out 19 assists and serving up 16 aces… Earned 169 combined digs during her two-year career, averaging 1.86 per set… Played in five total matches in her senior season, seeing time in seven sets on the year… Earned five digs on the season, averaging 0.71 per set… Saw action in a match for the first time playing two sets against Mississippi State with a dig to her credit… Earned a dig against Tennessee… Came off the bench to earn three digs in the win over Missouri… Played in a set at South Carolina… Played in two sets in the NCAA First Round against Oregon, coming in to serve four times.
JUNIOR SEASON (2013)
Garnered 22 appearances which included four starts … Posted 1.95 digs, 0.23 assists and 0.19 aces per set … One of six players to average over a dig per set … Corralled five-plus digs in 15 of her 22 outings fueled by nine 10-dig efforts … Collected an ace in 11 of her 22 appearances … Her 16 aces were third on the team … Converted 232-for-244 of her reception attempts which included four perfect passer rating with 10-plus attempts … Earned the start and registered 11 digs during LSU’s season opener against Texas-San Antonio (Aug. 30) … Tallied 10 digs, a season’s best three aces and was 26-for-26 on her reception attempts versus UC Davis (Aug. 31) … Sprawled out for 16 scoops at Miami (Sept. 13) … Turned in a season-high 18 digs against Georgia (Sept. 27) … Added 12 digs at Auburn (Oct. 18) … Secured 11 digs, two aces and was a spotless 22-for-22 on reception attempts during LSU’s five-set comeback win at Tennessee (Nov. 17) … Did not play during the NCAA Seattle Regional (Dec. 6-7).
FRESHMAN AND SOPHOMORE SEASONS (2011-12 at Texas State)
Totaled 718 digs over 65 matches and served as Texas State’s primary libero over the last two seasons … Key contributor to the Bobcats winning the 2011 Southland Conference regular season and tournament championships … Texas State went 27-8 and garnered a 2011 NCAA Tournament appearance … Registered double figure digs 34 times which included five matches with over 20 scoops … Started 2011 campaign with seven straight matches with 10 or more digs … Collected 22 digs versus Austin Peay (Aug. 27) and Houston Baptist (Sept. 8) … Picked up Bama Bash All-Tournament honors … Finished season with double figure digs in eight of last 10 matches (Oct. 29-Dec. 2) which included all three Southland Conference Tournament efforts … Racked up a career-best 26 digs versus Sam Houston State (Aug. 28) during the fourth match of 2012 season … Handed out 11 assists and 16 digs against Texas-San Antonio (Oct. 26) for her first career double-double … Sprawled out for 25 scoops and added five assists versus New Mexico State (Nov. 8).
HIGH SCHOOL
Coached by her mother, Margaret Whalen, at Littleton High School in Colorado … Earned All-State recognition as a senior after being named an All-Conference performer for all four seasons … A two-time team MVP, she earned the team’s best hitter award three teams and best server award twice … Totaled 905 digs, 804 kills and 183 aces during her four-year career … Also lettered in Track and Field … Qualified for the state meet in the long jump, triple jump and the 800-meter medley … Holds high school triple jump record of 35 feet, 5 inches … Plays club volleyball for Front Range, one of the top club programs in the nation … Helped her team to a silver medal at the 2009 AAU National Championships.
PERSONAL
Daughter of Dennis and Margaret Whalen … Born on September 16, 1992 … Has two siblings: brother Patrick (27) and sister Bridget (23) … Bridget played volleyball at Southern Miss (2008-10) and team won the 2009 Conference USA regular season … Major is undecided.