TIGER RAG NEWS SERVICES
Outside hitter star Jurnee Robinson powered the LSU volleyball team to a 3-2 win over Wake Forest in five sets – 25-20, 22-25, 25-23, 23-25 and 17-15 on Friday night in its season opener at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
Robinson, a senior from Simpsonville, South Carolina, turned in her 30th career double-double, matching a career-high 34 kills and adding 11 digs and two solo blocks. Robinson etched her name into the program’s top 10 all-time list with her 18th kill of the night, surpassing Jennifer Hampton (1999-2002). Robinson now ranks No. 9 all-time with 1,386 career kills.
LSU (1-0) had a .219 hitting percentage on 68 overall kills, and the defense collected 74 digs and 10 blocks, holding Wake Forest (0-1) to a .182 attacking percentage. Four LSU players registered double-digit digs.
The Tigers host Incarnate Word Saturday night at the Assembly Center (6 p.m., SEC Network+).
Setter Takyla Brown logged her fifth career double-double by recording career-highs of 52 assists, 13 digs, and four blocks. She also snuck in three kills. Freshman libero Kiley Brooks anchored the defense with 16 digs in her collegiate debut, and added six assists and one ace. And defensive specialist Ella Hemmings added 12 digs. Middle blocker Jessica Jones had six blocks to lead the Tigers and chipped in four kills. Her fifth block of the match was her 200th career block.
Set 1
LSU built an 8-4 lead behind a 5-0 run, forcing Wake Forest to burn its first timeout of the match. The Tigers pushed their lead to 12-5, and after outlasting a WF 4-0 burst, the home team took a 15-9 advantage into the media timeout. The Demon Deacons stayed in the fight and pulled within two points late at 22-20, but LSU scored the final three points, capped by a solo block by Robinson for a 25-20 win. LSU hit .323 in the set behind 15 kills. Robinson led the way with five kills and a solo block, and middle blocker Angelina Lee followed with four kills.
Set 2
Although LSU was the first to 10 points, Wake Forest ripped off five in-a-row to take a 14-10 lead and led 15-11 at the media timeout. Overall, WF pieced together a 9-2 run for an 18-12 margin. LSU chipped away and cut the deficit to 18-16, and threatened late at 24-22 to force a Demon Deacons timeout, but the visiting team evened the match with a 25-22 victory.
Set 3
The Tigers scored the first four points of the set, but Wake’s three unanswered points sparked a 13-5 run, giving the Demon Deacons a 13-9 lead when LSU called a timeout. WF led 15-11 at the media timeout and pushed its lead to five at 17-12. LSU rallied back beginning with consecutive kills by Robinson, igniting a Tiger 9-4 run that tied the set at 21 and forced a Wake Forest timeout. The Fighting Tigers kept the momentum and scored four of the final five points for a 25-23 set win. Robinson, who led the charge with nine kills on a .500 hitting percentage, landed four of LSU’s final five kills. LSU held Wake Forest to a .162 hitting percentage thanks to four blocks.
Set 4
The fourth set featured 11 ties and six lead changes by the media timeout, where Wake Forest led 15-13. The Demon Deacons built a 20-16 lead, but had to call a timeout after kills from Brown and Robinson, followed by a WF attacking error, trimmed the Tigers’ deficit to 20-19. Both clubs exchanged points to 24-23, but a kill by the Demon Deacons gave them the 25-23 set win to force a fifth set.
Set 5
Both clubs exchanged blows with neither team leading by more than two points throughout the entire set. Robinson recorded her second solo block of the match, and followed with a kill to put LSU on top, 10-9. The teams continued to trade points after the Wake Forest timeout, and the teams locked again at 15-15. WF sailed an attack out of play to put LSU ahead 16-15, and Robinson sealed the match with her 34th kill, giving the Tigers the 17-15 victory. Robinson had seven of LSU’s 10 kills, while right side Tireh Smith added two kills and two blocks, and Lee added one kill and a block.
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