Collegiate Beach Bash: Meet the LSU Tigers
Collegiate Beach Bash: Meet the LSU Tigers
The Louisiana State University beach volleyball team will be one of six NCAA beach teams competing at the Collegiate Beach Bash, hosted by RallyVB, on November 12, 2016.
The Collegiate Beach Bash is a fall exhibition college beach volleyball tournament hosted by RallyVB in Emerson, Georgia, and featuring six East Coast NCAA teams.
FloVolleyball will be live-streaming all the action from the LakePoint Sporting Community, beginning at 9 AM ET on Saturday, November 12.
Each day leading up to the first serve at LakePoint, we are profiling one of the teams that will participate in the Collegiate Beach Bash.
So far, we've brought you the lowdown on UNCW, Spring Hill, and UAB. Next up, Louisiana State University.
LSU added a beach volleyball program in 2013 and first took the sand in 2014. Former Rice University assistant Russell Brock joined the volleyball coaching staff in 2013 to head up the brand new beach program.
In 2014, the Tigers finished the season with a 6-10 record. A year later, they celebrated their first winning season, going 14-9 overall. The LSU beach volleyball team had its best showing to date this past season, making the championship match of the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association and compiling a 20-9 record.
Current senior Katie Lindelow and sophomore Ashley Allmer played together at the No. 1 spot during the 2016 season, going 16-13 overall, and have both returned for 2017. In fact, the Tigers are returning four of their five starting pairs from the 2016 season and 14 of 18 players from the 2016 roster.
Four freshmen have joined the LSU beach volleyball team since last spring, including Claire Coppola, who was an American Volleyball Coaches Association High School Beach First Team All-American. The 6-foot-1 Scottsdale, Arizona, native should make an immediate impact on the Tigers' continued rise in the world of NCAA beach volleyball.
1. Claire Coppola and Mandi Orellana
Freshman Claire Coppola will pair with junior Mandi Orellana at the Collegiate Beach Bash. Orellana played mostly at the No. 4 spot during the 2016 season, experiencing significant success and collecting a 20-7 overall record.
2. Katie Lindelow and Maddie Ligon
Katie Lindelow will not be playing with her partner of the 2016 season, Ashley Allmer, and will instead test out a new partnership with 5-8 sophomore Maddie Ligon of Bedford, Texas.
3. Olivia Powers and Kristen Nuss
Six-foot-one freshman Olivia Powers will bring a height advantage to the pairing with fellow frosh Kristen Nuss, a New Orleans native who was the LHSAA Division I MVP for her high school indoor team.
4. Riley Young and Taylor Bradley
Junior Riley Young started her college beach career playing at the No. 5 position. As a sophomore, she spent most of the 2016 season at the No. 4 spot and collected a personal record of 18-5. Taylor Bradley of Round Rock, Texas, is another member of the Tigers' incoming class.
5. Lilly Kessler and Ashley Allmer
Junior Lily Kessler finished the 2016 season with a 25-6 record, playing mostly at the No. 2 spot. Allmer teamed with Lindelow at the top spot in 2016, so these two should be a deadly No. 5 pair.
6. Megan Davenport and Callan Molle
Megan Davenport went 16-7 at the No. 5 spot in 2016 with a number of different partners. Callan Molle spent most of her junior season at the No. 3 spot where she collected an overall record of 17-8.
7. Emma Hiller and Jeni Clark
Senior Emma Hiller and sophomore Jeni Clark, both 5-7, each played sparingly over the 2016 season and will be seeking to prove themselves against the competition at the Collegiate Beach Bash.
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FloVolleyball will be live-streaming all the action from the LakePoint Sporting Community, beginning at 9 AM ET on Saturday, November 12.
Each day leading up to the first serve at LakePoint, we are profiling one of the teams that will participate in the Collegiate Beach Bash.
So far, we've brought you the lowdown on UNCW, Spring Hill, and UAB. Next up, Louisiana State University.
LSU added a beach volleyball program in 2013 and first took the sand in 2014. Former Rice University assistant Russell Brock joined the volleyball coaching staff in 2013 to head up the brand new beach program.
In 2014, the Tigers finished the season with a 6-10 record. A year later, they celebrated their first winning season, going 14-9 overall. The LSU beach volleyball team had its best showing to date this past season, making the championship match of the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association and compiling a 20-9 record.
Current senior Katie Lindelow and sophomore Ashley Allmer played together at the No. 1 spot during the 2016 season, going 16-13 overall, and have both returned for 2017. In fact, the Tigers are returning four of their five starting pairs from the 2016 season and 14 of 18 players from the 2016 roster.
Four freshmen have joined the LSU beach volleyball team since last spring, including Claire Coppola, who was an American Volleyball Coaches Association High School Beach First Team All-American. The 6-foot-1 Scottsdale, Arizona, native should make an immediate impact on the Tigers' continued rise in the world of NCAA beach volleyball.
The Pairs
1. Claire Coppola and Mandi Orellana
Freshman Claire Coppola will pair with junior Mandi Orellana at the Collegiate Beach Bash. Orellana played mostly at the No. 4 spot during the 2016 season, experiencing significant success and collecting a 20-7 overall record.
2. Katie Lindelow and Maddie Ligon
Katie Lindelow will not be playing with her partner of the 2016 season, Ashley Allmer, and will instead test out a new partnership with 5-8 sophomore Maddie Ligon of Bedford, Texas.
3. Olivia Powers and Kristen Nuss
Six-foot-one freshman Olivia Powers will bring a height advantage to the pairing with fellow frosh Kristen Nuss, a New Orleans native who was the LHSAA Division I MVP for her high school indoor team.
4. Riley Young and Taylor Bradley
Junior Riley Young started her college beach career playing at the No. 5 position. As a sophomore, she spent most of the 2016 season at the No. 4 spot and collected a personal record of 18-5. Taylor Bradley of Round Rock, Texas, is another member of the Tigers' incoming class.
5. Lilly Kessler and Ashley Allmer
Junior Lily Kessler finished the 2016 season with a 25-6 record, playing mostly at the No. 2 spot. Allmer teamed with Lindelow at the top spot in 2016, so these two should be a deadly No. 5 pair.
6. Megan Davenport and Callan Molle
Megan Davenport went 16-7 at the No. 5 spot in 2016 with a number of different partners. Callan Molle spent most of her junior season at the No. 3 spot where she collected an overall record of 17-8.
7. Emma Hiller and Jeni Clark
Senior Emma Hiller and sophomore Jeni Clark, both 5-7, each played sparingly over the 2016 season and will be seeking to prove themselves against the competition at the Collegiate Beach Bash.
LSU Beach-Only Roster
| No. | Name | Yr. | Ht. | Hometown/Previous School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riley Young | Jr. | 6-1 | La Jolla, CA |
| 3 | Maddie Ligon | So. | 5-8 | Bedford, TX |
| 4 | Lilly Kessler | Jr. | 5-10 | Augusta, GA |
| 5 | Katie Lindelow | Sr. | 5-11 | Covington, LA |
| 10 | Callan Molle | Sr. | 5-5 | Galena, OH |
| 11 | Ashley Allmer | So. | 5-10 | Sarasota, FL |
| 12 | Taylor Bradley | Fr. | 5-9 | Round Rock, TX |
| 13 | Kristen Nuss | Fr. | 5-6 | New Orleans, LA |
| 14 | Claire Coppola | Fr. | 6-1 | Scottsdale, AZ |
| 15 | Mandi Orellana | Jr. | 5-7 | Guatemala City, Guatemala |
| 20 | Emma Hiller | Sr. | 5-7 | Baton Rouge, LA |
| 25 | Olivia Powers | Fr. | 6-1 | Merritt Island, FL |
| 31 | Megan Davenport | So. | 5-11 | Metairie, LA |
| 33 | Jeni Clark | So. | 5-7 | Carlsbad, CA |
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