by Matt Dunaway, Associate Sports Information Director
BATON ROUGE – Sam Dabbs conducted the No. 24 LSU volleyball team to a .333 team hitting percentage as the Tigers dismantled Ole Miss [25-13, 25-9, 25-19] Sunday at the Maravich Center.
LSU (15-4, 9-1 SEC) pushed its winning streak to eight matches and has strung together 25 consecutive victories over SEC Western Division opponents. The Tigers now possess a five-match advantage over Alabama and Arkansas in the division race.
“We worked really hard this week not to have a hangover [after the Florida win] and we raised our level in certain areas,” head coach Fran Flory said. “Our blocking on the left side needed to improve and our offense needed to do a better of a job creating offense out of transition balls. I thought we did a great job of doing both things in both matches this weekend.”
Dabbs fell one kill shy of a triple-double. Her 31 assists sparked six different Tigers, including herself, to five kills or more. She also reeled in 11 digs and powered home nine kills on nine swings. LSU’s .333 team hitting clip marked the sixth time in the last eight matches that the Tigers have reached that impressive feat.
Lauren Waclawczyk corralled a match-best 18 digs, while Sam Delahoussaye contributed 11 digs to anchor the back row.
LSU’s middle attack of Lauren DeGirolamo, Michele Williams and Brittnee Cooper combined for 19 kills and 15 blocks. DeGirolamo’s eight spikes came on a .444 hitting percentage. Angela Bensend also added five kills.
“Sam is awesome and the thing that’s given me a lot of confidence is that she has given me one-on-one matchups on the other team’s block,” DeGirolamo said. “It’s because we have other great hitters and everyone can put the ball away so the other team can’t just focus on one person. That leaves a lot of openings in their block and Sam is really good at finding those.”
LSU came out clicking on all cylinders as Dabbs dished out 13 assists to fuel the Tigers to a. 448 hitting percentage in the opening set. At 8-6, LSU took control of the frame and scored six consecutive points to go ahead 14-6. Ole Miss got back to 17-11 before Cooper and DeGirolamo paired up for three straight blocks to allow the Tigers to run away with the set, 25-13.
LSU continued to put on the defensive pressure and forced Ole Miss into seven early attack errors to jump out to a 10-3 edge in set two. At 14-6, consecutive kills from Dabbs, Skender and Bensend extended the LSU lead to 17-6. The Rebels finished the frame with 10 hitting miscues and a -.222 hitting percentage as the Tigers rolled to a 25-9 win.
LSU sprinted out to a 16-8 advantage in the third set. The Rebels fired back with nine of the next 10 points as Caitlin Weiss and Whitney Craven combined for five kills to make it 18-17. After a timeout, LSU responded with a 4-1 spurt capped by a Dabbs kill to go up 22-18. Back-to-back kills from Cooper and Johnson at 23-19 secured the sweep for the Tigers.
LSU returns to the road and faces off against No. 8 Kentucky Saturday at 12:30 p.m. The Tigers only conference setback came against the Wildcats on Sept. 20. Live stats will be available in the Geaux Zone on LSUsports.net. Fans also can follow in-match updates of the four-time defending SEC Western Division champions via www.twitter.com/lsuvolleyball.
“I think Kentucky is the best team in the conference,” Flory said. “They are talented, have no weaknesses and are a solid all-around team. We’re going to have to work hard this week to prepare and put together a good game plan. Certainly, we’re going to have to have a very high level of execution to be successful.”
LSU vs. Ole Miss
October 18, 2009
LSU HEAD COACH FRAN FLORY QUOTES
On how important it was to keep the winning streak alive...
“We worked really hard this week not to have a hangover and we raised our level in certain areas. I thought our blocking on the left side needed to improve after the Florida match. I thought we needed to do a little bit better of a job creating offense out of transition balls. This weekend in both matches we did a great job doing both of those things. I thought our blocking today was very significant.”
On Lauren DeGirolamo and Sam Dabbs finding rhythm ...
“Lauren DeGirolamo and Sam [Dabbs] struggled to find a rhythm through the first two-thirds of the season. We didn’t really find a way to get the ball to her. I think we found it.”
On Sam Dabbs performance of running the offense ...
“She continues to get better. As her confidence grows, our team will continue to grow. It’s important that she feels comfortable and confident. We couldn’t get [Brittnee] Cooper going today and our team still hit over .300 even without Cooper, so that’s good.”
On Brittnee Cooper contributing on defense ...
“We preached to them if one part of the game is not in sync you have to find another way to contribute. I thought she did a very good job of that tonight”
On what it will take to prepare from Kentucky ...
“I think Kentucky is the best team in the conference. They are talented, have no weaknesses and are a solid all-around team. We’re going to have to work hard this week to prepare and put together a good game plan. Certainly, we’re going to have to have a very high level of execution to be successful. “
LSU PLAYER QUOTES
On how important it is to keep going with the momentum ...
“We knew with that big win against Florida [last Sunday] that we had to come in here and be focused because Arkansas and Ole Miss are both good teams from the SEC West. We knew we had to come into the matches not overlooking these teams.”
On transitioning to the right side ...
“I’ve always been middle, so transitioning to right side has taken some time. I’m really getting comfortable out there. Sam [Dabbs] and I are really starting to connect and she’s giving me great sets. I’m just starting to feel like I can play right side.”
On how Sam Dabbs helps the team ...
“Sam is awesome. I think the thing that’s given me a lot of confidence is that she has given me one-on-one matchups on the other team’s block. It’s because we have other great hitters and everyone can put the ball away so the other team can’t just focus on one person. That leaves a lot of openings in their block and Sam is really good at finding those.”
On the upcoming match against Kentucky ...
“When we played them at home, we were really disappointed in our effort and how we came out. We weren’t defending our home court. We want to go out there and show what we are made of. We know that Kentucky is a great team. They’re first in the SEC overall and haven’t lost. It’s going to be a tough match, and we are going to have to prepare for that.”
