2018 NCAA Championship

For the second consecutive season, the LSU Tigers made it to the NCAA Championship at Gulf Shores, Alabama and became the first team from the east region to earn an at-large bid.

After setting new standards for the program in 2017, the Tigers came back in 2018 hungry for more success and the opportunity to play for it all once again. The Tigers entered the season as the sixth ranked team in the country.

Claire Coppola and Kristen Nuss did not suffer a sophomore slump after an impressive freshman campaign in 2017. The duo would go 31-8 throughout their second season together on the top court and would go onto to be named CCSA Pair of the Year and were mentioned on multiple All-America squads.

On March 10, the Tigers defeated the USC Trojans by a score of 4-1 at the East vs. West Challenge on Manhattan Beach, becoming just the sixth program to ever notch at lease one victory over the Women of Troy. That was the only win the Tigers would gather that weekend in California though. The Tigers preceded to go 1-3 the following weekend as well at South Carolina’s Gamecock Grand Slam.

The next weekend was LSU’s first home event and the Tigers reeled off 14 wins in a row to finish the regualr season on a 15-1 run heading into postseason play

The Tigers would make a run at the CCSA Championship, going 4-1 to earn a spot in the championship. Florida State, the only team that had beaten LSU in over a month, was standing in their way. The Seminoles ended the Tigers’ win streak weeks earlier and then became the only team to defeat them in the early rounds of the CCSA Tournament. LSU would not be able to avenge the past two losses though as it finished at the CCSA Tournament as the runner-up.

On selection sunday, the Tigers became the first team from the east region to earn an at large bid to the NCAA Championship, a major accomplishment for a sport dominated by the west coast in its first few years as an NCAA sport.

Entering as the No. 7 seed out of 8, the Tigers fell to No. 2 Pepperdine, 3-0, LSU defeated CCSA foe South Carolina, 3-1, to stay alive. The next day, LSU was eliminated via a 3-0 sweep by the future national champion UCLA.

The pairs of Claire Coppola/Kristen Nuss, Megan Davenport/Emmy Allen and Riley Young/Maddie Ligon earned the AVCA Top Flight Award and Hunter Domanski finished on the CCSA All-Freshman Team.

#2 Pepperdine def. #7 LSU, 3-0 2. Madalyn Roh/Brook Bauer (PEPP) def. Haleigh Nelson/Mandi Orellana (LSU) 21-12, 21-16 3. Gigi Hernandez/Heidi Dyer (PEPP) def. Olivia Powers/Hunter Domanski (LSU) 25-23, 24-22 4. Skylar Caputo/Alexis Filippone (PEPP) def. Megan Davenport/Emmy Allen (LSU) 21-15, 21-13

#7 LSU def. #6 South Carolina, 3-1 1. Kristen Nuss/Claire Coppola (LSU) def. Cadie Bates/Katie Smith (SC) 21-14, 21-18 2. Shannon Williams/Ali Denney (SC) def. Haleigh Nelson/Mandi Orellana (LSU) 21-19, 21-18 3. Olivia Powers/Hunter Domanski (LSU) def. Julia Mannisto/Carly Schnieder (SC) 17-21, 21-18, 15-9 5. Riley Young/Maddie Ligon (LSU) def. Lydia Dimke/Franky Harrison (SC) 27-25, 21-15

#3 UCLA def. #7 LSU, 3-0 1. Nicole McNamara/Megan McNamara (UCLA) def. Claire Coppola/Kristen Nuss (LSU) 21-10, 21-17 2. Lily Justine/Sarah Sponcil (UCLA) def. Haleigh Nelson/Mandi Orellana (LSU) 21-10, 21-8 3. Savvy Simo/Zana Muno (UCLA) def. Olivia Powers/Hunter Domanski (LSU) 21-13, 21-15