BATON ROUGE, The. – A one-week hiatus ends as the LSU volleyball team returns to action with a televised match at Alabama on Wednesday, Oct. 19 at Foster Auditorium in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
First serve is set for 8:00 PM CT and will air on ESPNU.
LSU (10-8, 4-4 SEC) has a 6-4 record in its last 10 games and is ranked 36th in the latest RPI rankings. The Tigers are also receiving votes in the AVCA national poll for the fourth consecutive week. Purple and Gold are hitting .236 on the season after 12.97 kills per set and 12.08 assists per set. The Tigers’ defense has allowed its opponents a .205 hitting percentage this season (No. 5 in the SEC) and held teams below a .200 hitting percentage nine times. LSU is also averaging 2.01 blocks per set and 14.69 digs per set (No. 4 in the SEC) this season.
Outside hitter Sanaa Dotson ranks fifth in the SEC with 3.92 kills per set and 8th in the conference with 4.34 points per set. Dotson also leads the team with 14 aces. Other key offensive contributors for the LSU Tigers consist of outside hitters Paige Flickinger (2.42 kills/set), Samarah Hill (2.30 kills/set) and Hannah Jacobs (2.17 kills/set).
Middle blocker Anita Anwusi leads the team with 1.03 blocks per set (74 total) and has 127 total kills on the year. Her counterpart Alia Williams follows with 0.83 blocks per set (60 total) and adds 106 total kills.
Setter Josie Vondran ranks 10th in the SEC with 7.15 assists per set and has 58 kills, 33 blocks and 12 assists this season. Freshman Maddie Waak has recorded 4.29 assists per set to go along with 13 assists.
Libero Ella Larkin anchors the defense with a league-best 4.39 digs per set (316 total) and has compiled two 30-plus dig performances this season. Larkin also has 13 aces this season.
Alabama (7-12, 1-6 SEC) earned its first SEC win of the season when it defeated Missouri on Wednesday night. The team’s strength is their ability to serve hard as they lead the SEC and rank 10th in the nation with 1.94 aces per set. Otherwise, they average 12.38 kills per set after a .175 hitting percentage and 11.23 assists per set – all of which rank last in the league.
Middle blocker Alyiah Wells leads the Crimson Tide with 3.23 kills per set and has a .352 hitting percentage that ranks 7th in the SEC. Wells also paces the team with 71 blocks on the year. Setter Brooke Slusser ranks ninth in the conference with 9.54 assists per set and adds 17 aces and 30 blocks. Outside hitter Abby Marjama leads the conference and ranks fifth in the NCAA with 45 aces this season (0.67 per set).
LSU is in the driver’s seat in the all-time series against Alabama with a 40-30 record. The Tigers are on a two-game winning streak against the Crimson Tide and have won five of their last six games.
Season tickets for the 2022 LSU volleyball season are now available. Fans interested in becoming a season ticket holder can get more information by clicking here. All tickets will be distributed via mobile devices for faster delivery of tickets to fans, contactless transactions at the gate and more flexibility for ticket holders. For more information on mobile tickets click here.
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