LSU volleyball will face Michigan in NCAA Tourney

Staff Report
SEATTLE, Wash. — The LSU volleyball team will make its seventh NCAA Tournament appearance in the last nine seasons when it takes on No. 24 Michigan to open the NCAA Seattle Regional today at Alaska Airlines Arena on the University of Washington campus.
Today’s first serve is slated for 7 p.m. with free live audio and live stats available inside the Geaux Zone at www.LSUsports.net/live.
LSU (18-12, 8-10 SEC) and Michigan (18-13, 8-12 Big 10) are two of 29 programs that have garnered at least seven NCAA Tournament selections since 2005. The winner of today’s match will meet either No. 3 national seed Washington or Alabama State in Saturday’s second round at 9 p.m.
The Tigers are coming off a 3-0 sweep of Alabama where LSU totaled 50 kills and a .288 hitting percentage. Malorie Pardo (40 assists, 10 digs) fueled a balanced attack as Helen Boyle (10 kills, 14 digs), Briana Holman (11 kills, four blocks) and Cati Leak (14 kills, nine digs) collected double-digit kills.
LSU’s offense has posted 13.65 kills per set and a .248 hitting clip during its 18 wins versus 11.80 kills per set and a .168 hitting ratio in the team’s 12 losses.
“We have talked all year about this team finding all the pieces and putting them together,” head coach Fran Flory said in a university release. “I don’t think we were all the way there, but we were as close as we’ve been all year during the Alabama match. As a coach, the goal is to get your team to peak at the end and really start believing and understanding. You can make that little run. I think we are as close to being as good as we can be or as good as we are going to be now. When LSU popped up on that screen Sunday during the selection show, I thought here is the opportunity. Let’s take it and go. If this team will get on a mission, they will do something special.”
The Wolverines, a 2012 NCAA Final Four participant, are paced by Jennifer Cross and Abby Cole who earned nods on the All-Big Ten Team and All-Big Ten Freshman squads, respectively. Cross has powered home 2.82 kills per set on a team-leading .319 hitting percentage and added 0.95 blocks per set.
Michigan’s offense has been sparked by Molly Toon’s 3.14 kills per set and Lexi Erwin’s 2.97 kills per set.
A big reason for the Wolverines balanced offense is Lexi Dannemiller, who has distributed 10.89 assists per set, which ranks third among Big Ten setters.
On the back row, Tiffany Moreles has provided a team-high 3.78 digs per set, good enough for seventh in the Big 10 rankings.
“Michigan is a physical team, and they have an outside hitter (Lexi Erwin) who led them to the Final Four last year,” Flory said. “She has been in and out of the lineup recently. Dannemiller, their setter, is awfully good. They are very balanced and run a great system. They’ve played some tough matches during their Big Ten schedule. The thing that happened this year is that the SEC has become that type of conference. We also have eight teams in the NCAAs. That is a great statement from our league and our coaches. I think we are more prepared for the NCAA tournament than we have been in the past. Our kids are excited to get on the court.”
Leak has posted a team-leading 3.19 kills per set, 10th among the SEC leaders. She has cranked 10-plus kills in her last six matches and upped her average to 3.58 spikes per set during the streak. The Alabama native belted a SEC career-high 20 kills at Ole Miss coupled with a season’s best .478 hitting percentage during the South Carolina match.
Holman came away with All-SEC and All-SEC Freshman Team accolades earlier this week. She joined Marina Skender (2005) and Desiree Elliott (2010) as the only three players in program history to pick up both honors during the same season.
Holman has knocked home a team-leading 371 kills, including double-digit kills in 24 of her last 28 matches, along with a SEC-leading 1.55 blocks per set. She has amassed 188 blocks, a LSU freshman single-season record. The 1.55 blocks per set average checks in fourth nationally — first among freshmen.
Pardo became the fifth LSU setter to surpass 3,500 assists during last week’s match at Ole Miss. She has passed out 40-plus assists in 21 of LSU’s 30 matches, and her 10.54 assists per set are fifth on the SEC leaderboard. She is the first player since Dani Reis, former All-American and recent LSU Hall of Fame inductee, to put together three straight 1,000-assist efforts.
For the season, Pardo has tucked away 19 double-doubles, second-most in the SEC. She has notched double dips during nine of her last 12 outings.
“Malorie is probably the player I am most proud of from last week,” Flory said. “I really challenged her after the Ole Miss match, and she answered the call. … Malorie is a fighter, and she wants to be great. Her response this last week has been tremendous. I expect she will respond in the same manner this week. She understands that everything is on her shoulders, and she has to get it done.
“She accepts this challenge, and I believe she will do whatever it takes for our team to be successful,” Flory added.
Elliott has turned in 2.30 kills, 1.08 digs and 0.74 blocks per set this season. LSU’s lone senior has racked up 1,169 career kills, fifth among SEC active players and 14th on LSU’s all-time list. She heads into today’s match four kills shy of moving past Regan Hood (2001-04) for the No. 13 spot.
Haley Smith has anchored LSU’s back row defense, and her 446 digs are eighth on LSU’s single season list. She has scooped up 3.81 digs per set, ninth in the SEC rankings, and notched 10-plus digs during 24 of her 26 starts at the libero position. The Meraux native enters today’s match four digs away from passing Paula Rideau (1983) for the No. 7 position.
For the latest news and information on Tiger volleyball, visit www.lsusports.net/volleyball. Fans also can follow the program on its social media outlets: www.Facebook.com/lsuvolleyball, @lsuvolleyball and @lsucoachfran on Twitter and @lsuvb on Instagram.