ALBUQUERQUE — The 22nd ranked LSU women’s tennis team rolled over the competition Saturday as the Lady Tigers won 13 of its 14 matches in the New Mexico Invitational Tournament. The event is an individual competition, but all of LSU’s matches were against players from New Mexico State University.
“We played some excellent tennis out there today,” said head coach Tony Minnis. “The girls competed with great determination and confidence in each of their matches, and when they have the right attitude out there on the court it makes them hard to beat.”
LSU’s two nationally ranked players each won their singles matches with ease as both sophomore Bruna Colosio and senior captain Ana Paula Mores handily defeated their New Mexico State opponents.
Twentieth-ranked Colosio cruised to her second victory of the tournament by defeating Tamie Hooper Massey in the No. 1 singles match, 6-1, 6-0, while 37th ranked Mores beat Simone Bromicker, 6-1, 6-1 on court No. 2.
Lady Tiger junior Fernanda Tsucamoto was victorious in No. 3 singles, 6-4, 6-1 over Stella Veerman to win her second match of the weekend, and LSU swept courts No. 5-8. The Lady Tigers participating in those matches were sophomores Kelly Craycraft, and Amy McIlhaney, junior Mandy Rice, and first year player Erin Fedas.
“It was really good to see Erin play so well in her match,” said Minnis. “She picked up what I hope will be her first of many wins for us this spring, and it’s good to see how much she has improved.”
LSU swept the doubles matches against New Mexico State. The 20th ranked duo of Colosio/Mores won by the score of 8-4 against Veerman/Eike Blodau, and the teams of Tsucamoto/McIlhaney, Craycraft/Lauren Haddix each picked up two doubles victories for the Lady Tigers.
The New Mexico Invitational Tournament will conclude Sunday in Albuquerque as LSU will play its matches against the home-standing New Mexico Lobos.