On the one hand, everything went according to plan. LSU got out to an early lead, held on to it and extended it as the meet went on, and was never in any real danger of failing to advance to Nationals.
On the other hand, the Raleigh regional served as one giant warning to LSU. The Tigers didn’t have a bad meet, but they didn’t have a dominant one either, and it opened the door for another contender, who would dog them for the entire competition. Once Nebraska believed they could win, they competed like they could, turning out their best meet of the season.