North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State
No. 1 LSU
Gymnastics Heads To City Of Lights To Face LSU In Lady Luck Invite
1/13/2016 6:38:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
The team is coming off of a win over former No. 17 Penn State
RALEIGH- After a strong season opener at Penn State, the 23rd-ranked NC State gymnastics team will head to Las Vegas to face top-ranked LSU Thursday evening inside South Point Hotel and Casino. The meet is a part of the Lady Luck Invitational, hosted by Brown's Gymnastics Las Vegas, and is set for a 10 p.m. ET start.Â
The Lady Luck Invitational is a junior qualifying event for the Nastia Lukin Cup that will run Friday through Sunday. With more than 2,500 gymnasts competing at the three-day meet, NC State and LSU will kick off the weekend with their match up. The meet will be broadcast through FloGymnastics.
From The Coach's Perspective
"We're really excited about this week, as we're coming off of a great win for our team at Penn State, the first time in program history we beat them at their home venue. It was a big positive for our team, and collectively we had great performances from our freshmen and a lot of clean routines from our veterans," said head coach Mark Stevenson.
"Facing LSU in front of a big crowd in Las Vegas is going to be really exiting for us. LSU is the top team in the country right now and anytime you can compete against the No. 1 team in the nation is always a great opportunity for the program. We've competed against them a number of the times in the past, and enjoy facing them because they help to bring out the best in our team."
Last Time OutÂ
The NC State gymnastics team started its season in #STATEment fashion on Saturday as it posted a meet total of 194.700 clinch a win over Penn State inside Rec Hall.
The Nittany Lions, formerly ranked 17th in the national poll, posted a team score of 194.125. NC State's win marked the first time in program history that the Wolfpack has defeated Penn State on its home turf.
Collectively, the Pack earned individual wins on beam, floor and the all-around competition, as well as seven top-three finishes on the day. Additionally, five gymnasts made collegiate debuts in the first meet of the season.
Scouting LSU
After its upset over former top-ranked Oklahoma in its season opener, LSU now tops the national polls after earning a team score of 196.950. It marked the program's fourth-straight win in a season opener as the Tigers improved to 17-0 in its last three seasons at home.
LSU returns five All-Americans from last year's squad and have added as many to this year's roster.Â
