MATCH STATS
- LSU Defeats Georgia (25-13, 25-21, 25-21)
- Team’s Record: LSU (7-10), Georgia (13-6)
- Schedules: LSU here, Georgia here
RECAP
The LSU Tigers had a great day on the road competing against the Georgia Lady Bulldogs in Athens, Georgia. LSU won in straight sets with a .325 attack percentage and only 11 errors.
LSU’s Gina Tillis was the most valuable player on the court. She led on offense with 15 kills (.324), while also providing defensive support with a team-leading 13 digs and team-tying 3 blocks (Tiara Gibson and Beyer also had 3 blocks). Olivia Beyer was also a big offensive contributor for the Tigers with 9 kills, along with her solo block. Anna Zwiebel was effective distributing the ball with 40 individual assists.
Although Georgia’s offense was not very balanced, Maddie Lobenstein had a productive outing with 13 kills (.235 hitting percentage). Lobenstein also had 10 digs. Meghan Donovan also produced a solid 19 assists to go along with 4 kills (.214).
LSU has a big match ahead as it takes on the No. 11 Florida Gators this Friday. Georgia will go on the road to take on another set of SEC Tigers when it faces Auburn on Wednesday night.
PRESS RELEASES
Courtesy of LSU Athletics:
ATHENS, Ga. – With a season-best .325 hitting percentage and season-low 11 attacking errors, the LSU volleyball team captured its second Southeastern Conference win of the season, a 25-13, 25-21, 25-21 victory over Georgia Sunday afternoon at Stegeman Coliseum.
The Tigers improved to 7-10 and 2-4 in conference with the sweep, just their second three-set win of the season. The Bulldogs fell to 13-6 and 1-5 in league play with the loss. LSU has now won four straight over UGA and 19 of the last 22 overall.
Flory’s Thoughts
“We showed great composure and maturity today,” head coach Fran Flory said. “Our offense came around and performed at a nice level. Anna (Zwiebel) set the most complete match she has set all year. Hopefully this will allows us to continue to gain confidence and understand the type of team we are capable of being.”
What’s Next
LSU continues Southeastern Conference play with two matches next weekend. The Tigers take on No. 11 Florida at 7 p.m. Friday then South Carolina at 1 p.m. Sunday. Both matches will take place inside the Maravich Center. Admission to all home matches is FREE, and fans are reminded to Geaux Clear. Friday’s contest will be streamed live on SEC Network+, while the match against the Gamecocks will be televised on ESPNU.
Opening Set
LSU opened the match with a dominating first-set win, 25-13. The Tigers combined to hit .583 with just one attacking error compared to UGA’s .083 with just seven kills and five errors. Sophomore Olivia Beyer led the way in the set with five kills on seven attempts. The two sides went back and forth through the first 12 points before LSU took control. The Tigers led by as many as 12 points in the frame.
Second Set
The Bulldogs came out in the second frame and were able to take advantage of six LSU service errors and five attacking errors to keep the set close. The Tigers hit .279 in the set with Gina Tillis claiming six of LSU’s 17 kills. At 20-all, LSU closed on a 5-1 run to take the set and the momentum into the intermission.
Third Set
Defensively, LSU had another outstanding set with 24 digs and four blocks. Tillis once again led the way for LSU with five kills. Five other Tigers found the score sheet with two or more kills as the Tigers finished with 16 total. Georgia hit a match-best .149 and held the lead until LSU took the lead after the media timeout. After the Bulldogs came back to tie the match at 21, LSU ran off four-straight points to take the win.
Courtesy of Georgia Athletics:
ATHENS, Ga. — Maddie Lobenstein posted her seventh double-double of the season, leading the Bulldogs with 13 kills and 10 digs, but Georgia (13-6, 1-5) fell to LSU (7-10, 2-4) by a 3-0 score on Sunday afternoon at Stegeman Coliseum.
The back-and-forth match was close throughout the second and third sets, as both of the final two frames were tied at 20-20. Both times, LSU responded with 5-1 runs to close out the sets and take the match.
“We just have to find more consistency,” said head coach Lizzy Stemke. “We started off really flat, and it felt like an uphill battle most of the day. I think LSU came out and was very aggressive. I am not sure we matched that aggressiveness at any point during the match. We need to work on that.”
Georgia struggled to find an offensive rhythm in the first set as LSU remained stout defensively and held the Bulldogs to .083 hitting, claiming the first set by a 25-13 tally.
The Bulldogs battled in the second set, keeping close with the Tigers and eventually overcoming an early 12-6 deficit to draw even at 20-20. LSU pushed back and finished the set strong with a 5-1 run, closing out the second by a 25-21 score to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.
The third set followed a similar tune, with both teams unable to find separation throughout the set. Neither side led by more than three points for most of the action and the set score was once again tied at 20-20. The Tigers were able to carry the play from there, taking five of the final six points to take the final set 25-21 and finish off the match.
Georgia will next travel to Auburn to face the Tigers on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET. The match will be broadcast live on the SEC Network.
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