LSU Volleyball Sweeps Opening Weekend With Win Over Incarnate Word To Go To 2-0

TIGER RAG NEWS SERVICES

The LSU volleyball team downed Incarnate Word, 3-1, in by scores of 25-20, 25-27, 25-11 and 25-19 to sweep its opening weekend on Saturday night at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.  

LSU (2-0) beat Wake Forest, 3-2, on Friday to open the season. The Tigers will next travel to Ann Arbor, Michigan to play Michigan and Michigan State on Tuesday and Wednesday.

LSU Volleyball: Jurnee Robinson Drops 34 Kills As Tigers Beat Wake Forest in Season Opener

The victory gave LSU its first undefeated opening weekend since 2017.

The Tigers outplayed Incarnate Word (0-2) held the advantage in hitting percentage at .281 to .169, in kills 61-46, assists 56-43, aces 5-1, blocks 11-2, and digs 78-56. On the weekend, LSU totaled 21 blocks, averaging 2.33 per set, and averaged 16.89 digs, holding opponents to a .176 hitting percentage. 

For the second consecutive match, outside hitter Jurnee Robinson and setter Takyla Brown registered double-doubles. Freshman libero Kiley Brooks joined the party, logging her first collegiate double-double with 12 assists and 16 digs. Robinson led LSU with 27.5 points behind 22 kills, six blocks and two aces. She also collected 14 digs. Brown handed out 43 assists and set a career-high with 23 digs. She added one ace, one block, and a kill. 

Middle blocker Sanaa Donaie got her first start of the season and chipped in nine kills on a .348 hitting percentage, and was one of three Tigers with three blocks. The other two were middle blockers, Jessica Jones and Angelina Lee. 

Set 1
LSU created separation early with a 5-0 run that gave the club a 9-4 lead. The Tigers stretched their margin to seven points at 15-8 thanks to four more unanswered points, capped by a kill for Brown off an overpass. UIW made a run, pulling within three at 17-14 when LSU called its first timeout of the match. The Tigers responded, however, with their second 4-0 burst of the frame, highlighted by back-to-back combo blocks by Lee and Robinson to regain a seven-point advantage, 21-14. Incarnate Word scored the next four points out of the timeout, but LSU ultimately won the set, 25-20. LSU hit .371 in the opening set on 15 kills and had two aces and three blocks. Outside hitter Lainee Pyles led the Tigers with five kills on seven swings with no errors for a .714 hitting percentage, while Robinson paced the team with 6.5 points behind four kills, three blocks and an ace.    

Set 2
The Cardinals jumped out to a 6-3 lead, but a big kill in the middle from Donaie, followed by a Robinson kill and solo block, tied the set at 6-6. Soon after, the Bayou Bengals forced a UIW timeout behind another 4-0 run to take a 10-7 lead. LSU led 15-11 at the media timeout. Incarnate Word continued to fight and tied the set at 18 before signaling for time in an attempt to stop LSU’s momentum, following consecutive kills from Robinson that gave the Tigers a 20-18 lead. The Cardinals made one final push and gained a 25-24 lead thanks to an LSU error, setting up the advantage to win the set 27-25 and even the match.  

Set 3
The Tigers came out the gate with an 8-2 run before UIW used their first timeout. LSU’s margin ballooned to 15-7 by the media timeout. The Tigers ran away with the set from there, closing out the stanza on a 10-4 run for the 25-11 win, including scoring the final six points of the set. LSU had its best offensive set of the match, hitting .480 with 13 kills, while holding UIW to a match-low .029 clip behind four blocks. Robinson hit .625 with five kills on eight errorless swings, and added an ace and a block. 

Set 4
The momentum from set three rolled into the fourth frame as LSU jumped out to a 10-5 lead to force an early UIW timeout. The Cardinals responded by taking a 12-11 lead thanks to a 5-0 run, but LSU answered by scoring six of the next seven points, making the score 17-13. The Fighting Tigers increased their lead to 21-16 when UIW exhausted its final timeout, and LSU went on to win the set, 25-19. Although Robinson led the set with seven kills, Jones took control of the set, hitting .714 with five kills on seven attempts with no errors.  

For the latest news and information on Tiger volleyball, visit www.lsusports.net/volleyball. Fans can follow the team on its social media outlets at www.facebook.com/lsuvolleyball and @lsuvolleyball on Instagram and X.