BATON ROUGE – – The 24th-ranked LSU women’s tennis team fell to the third-ranked Georgia Lady Bulldogs Friday by the score of 6-3.
“It was a very tough match for us,” said LSU head coach Tony Minnis. “Georgia is definitely one of the best teams in the nation and today they certainly played like it.”
The Lady Tigers dropped to a 7-4 overall record on the season and an 0-3 mark in the Southeastern Conference. The Lady Bulldogs improved to a 7-1 record this season and a 3-0 record in conference play.
Georgia clinched the match in doubles play on court No. 3 as the duo of Kelly Baskin and Zoe Mellis defeated LSU s Lauren Haddix and Tami Botts, 8-1.
The Lady Tiger s 21st-ranked doubles team of Bruna Colosio and Ana Paula Mores upset Georgia s ninth-ranked combination of Marissa Catlin and Lori Grey on court No. 1. Colosio/Mores won the match, 8-5.
In singles play Georgia opened up with a 4-2 lead by winning on courts No. 2, 3, 4, and 6. LSU’s 16th-ranked Bruna Colosio won in three sets on court No. 1 over eighth-ranked Aarthi Venkatesan of Georgia. Colosio dominated the last two sets of the match, 6-3, 6-0, after dropping the first set, 6-3.
“Bruna played great tennis today,” Minnis said. “I was impressd with her level of determination as well as how hard she fought for every point.”
The Lady Tiger’s second singles point came on court No. 5 as freshman Lauren Haddix defeated Georgia s 89th-ranked Anne Nguyen in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3. The win was Haddix s first career victory over a ranked opponent.
The 24th-ranked Lady Tigers will next be in action Sunday, March 5 versus the 17th-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks. The match will begin at noon in the Dub Robinson Tennis Stadium.
–agate to follow–
#3 Georgia: 6, #24 LSU 3
SINGLES
1: #16 Bruna Colosio (LSU) def. #8 Aarthi Venkatesan (UGA), 3-6, 6-3, 6-0.
2: Marissa Catlin (UGA) def. #64 Ana Paula Mores (LSU), 6-3, 6-3.
3: #11 Lori Grey (UGA) def. Fernanda Tsucamoto (LSU), 6-4, 6-1.
4: #65 Kelly Baskin (UGA) def. Tami Botts (LSU), 6-3, 6-2.
5: Lauren Haddix (LSU) def. #89 Anne Nguyen (UGA), 6-3, 6-3.
6: Zoe Mellis (UGA) def. Amy McIlhaney (LSU), 6-1, 6-2.
DOUBLES
1: #21 Colosio/Mores (LSU) def. #9 Catlin/Grey (UGA), 8-5.
2: #5 Venkatesan/Knox (UGA) def. Tsucamoto/McIlhaney (LSU), 8-1.
3: Baskin/Mellis (UGA) def. Haddix/Botts (LSU), 8-4