LSU Volleyball Team to Play in the Bluejay Invitational Sept. 1-3

After opening up the season at home with a doubleheader where they went 1-1, the LSU volleyball team will travel to Omaha, Nebraska to participate in the 2023 Bluejay Invitational Sept. 1-3 at D.J. Sokol Arena. We will give a brief breakdown of each of the opponents the Tigers will face.

Friday, Sept. 1, @ 3:30 p.m. Northern Iowa (UNI)

Defending Missouri Valley Conference Champions With 27-8 overall record and was a 2022 NCAA Tournament team.UNI is coming off a 1-2 weekend at the Western Michigan Tournament. LSU has played UNI only once with a 1-0 record.

Outside hitter Kira Fallert leads the team with 3.25 kills per set.Tjernagel has a team-high .310 hitting percentage and 1.50 blocks per set.

Setter Tayler Alden directs the offense with 8.17 assists per set. Erin Powers is the team’s libero with 4.75 digs per set.

Saturday, Sept. 2 @ 5 p.m.CT

No. 20 Creighton (Host Team) 27-5 record last season reaching an 11thconsecutive NCAA Tournament.

Creighton played in the Reamer Club Xtra Special Premier in West Lafayette, Ind .The Bluejays went 2-1 on the weekend after sweeping Loyola Chicago and No. 16Purdue, before losing to Duke, 3-2,

The Bluejays rank No. 8 in the NCAA with 15.36 kills per set and 19.00 digs per set and will be LSU’s first ranked opponent of the 2023 season. They also rank No. 2 in the Big East with a .265 hitting percentage and 13.18 assists per set.

Ava Martin is this week’s Big East Offensive Player of the Week and leads the league with 4.45 kills per set (49 total) and hit .312 on the weekend and added 1.64 digs per set.

Outside hitter Norah Sis is behind her with 4.09 kills per set (45 total) and has a team-high five aces. Setter Kendra Wait also has five aces this season and averages 10.45 assists per set (115 total), which ranks second in the Big East.

LSU defeated Creighton, 3-2, in Omaha in August 2008 in their only program meeting.

Sunday, Sept. 3 @ 12 p.m. CT (Noon) Ball State

Mid-American Conference (MAC) West Division champions (24-9) overall .They earned an at-large bid into the 2022 NCAA Tournament

Ball State is 2-1 entering the tournament with wins over Gonzaga and Purdue Fort Wayne, before ultimately falling to Oklahoma at the Ball State Invitational.

Setter Megan Wielonski leads the offense with six aces and 10.60 assists per set, and averages 3.00 digs per set. While Marie Plitt leads the team with 29 killsand Madison Buckley follows with 27 kills.

LSU leads the all-time series 2-1, Ball State got the upper hand the last time the two teams met in September 1997. While LSU holds victories September of 91' and 93'

LSU Stat Leaders

Jurnee Robinson leads in Kills (46) and Kills Per Set (4.6)

Anita Anwusi leads in Blocks (11) and Hit % (.531)

Erin Carmichael and Jade Demps are tied with (27) digs a piece. Maddie Waak leads the team with (93) of LSU's (116) assists and a 4-way tie for Aces with Waak, Carmichael, Dotson and Demps having 4 each

FloSports will stream all matches at the Bluejay Invitational for a fee.