With a four-match home stretch that begins with battling two ranked opponents, LSU volleyball has its work cut out leading into the final seven matches of the regular season.
LSU takes on No. 9 Texas A&M and No. 2 Texas at the PMAC this weekend, these being the last two ranked teams the Tigers will have to face on their schedule. So far this season, LSU has fallen 1-4 against ranked opponents.
Prior to this home stretch, LSU wrapped up two matches on the road at Vanderbilt and Missouri. The Tigers shut down the Commodores 3-2, but suffered a startling 1-3 loss to the Mizzou Tigers to conclude the road trip. LSU’s conference record dropped to 3-5 and the team sits at 10-9 overall.
Reflecting on both matchups, head coach Tonya Johnson said that her team played great volleyball against Vanderbilt, continuing to show their grit. As for Missouri, LSU had some work to do and Johnson recognized that.
“We let some opportunities get away against Missouri, which allowed them to get the momentum back on their side of the net,” Johnson said. “I think the takeaways from that match are just trying to be consistent with what we do [and] our discipline in terms of playing good volleyball for longer stretches of time.”
Another weekend at home of ranked matchups for LSU poses uncertainty in the team’s fate, but Johnson’s motto is to stay focused on one match at a time. That first match starts with competing against the Aggies.
The Tigers face the Aggies on Friday night to open the rivalry weekend of back-to-back volleyball and football showdowns. A&M volleyball is currently ranked No. 9, moving up from its previous No. 10 spot after a win over Arkansas.
“First things first, is Texas A&M. I can’t worry about anybody but who we play first,” Johnson said. “That’s been our preparation this week and [our] planning against the No. 9 and No. 2 teams.”
A former LSU Tiger is set to make her return to Baton Rouge in this matchup, however on the other side of the net this time around.
Maddie Waak, a senior setter for the Aggies, transferred to Texas A&M in 2024 after spending her first two collegiate seasons with LSU. Regarding her former player, Johnson sees Waak’s return as a moment to document her growth. Waak found another great opportunity and has been doing well at it, she said.
Following Texas A&M, the Tigers will face off against No. 2 Texas, a significant team that connects back to Johnson’s coaching career journey.
When Johnson moved to Texas in 2003, she worked under Longhorns’ head coach Jerritt Elliott as the assistant head coach for the first five years of her time with the program. In her sixth year on staff, Johnson transitioned into the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator roles.
She eventually left Texas and began her first head coaching role at Georgia Tech in 2009, but ultimately returned to the Longhorns to pick back up where she left off in 2014. Johnson officially left Texas again after the 2021 season and returned to her alma mater in 2022 to become the Tigers’ head coach.
Reflecting on her time spent with Texas, Johnson said she’s excited to be reunited with Elliott and her former program, and is also prepared to take on the No. 2 team in the country.
“Texas is a great program and Jerritt’s like a brother to me. He’s done an outstanding job there,” Johnson said. “There’s still a few players on the roster that I actually recruited [to Texas] and you always want to see those guys do well.”
Although Johnson knew Elliott’s coaching style like the back of her hand for years, her team isn’t doing any special preparation ahead of the meeting. With the Texas personnel changing every year, Johnson knows Elliott will have his team ready to play no matter what and will do what he does best, she said.
The start of this home stretch is going to be a rough one for the Tigers, requiring a good bit of effort to come out on top against the two nationally ranked opponents. For Johnson, she remains confident in her team’s abilities and isn’t worried for the weekend to come.
“This weekend, we’ll have our hands full,” Johnson said. “We’re looking forward to the challenge and we love the fact that we’re home.”