KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The LSU women’s tennis team lost to the 20th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers Sunday, 5-4, in Knoxville, Tenn.
The Lady Tigers were leading the Volunteers, 4-2, going into doubles play, but were then swept in all three doubles matches.
“This was a very tough match to lose,” said LSU head coach Tony Minnis. “Anytime you have a 4-2 lead going into doubles, then end up losing, it is extremely hard for a team to take. But I know that we will bounce back from this loss and have something to prove for the rest of the season.”
In doubles play, the outcome of the match came down to court No. 1. The Volunteers had already won both the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles matches to even the total score at four apiece.
Tennessee’s No. 1 doubles duo of Alison Ojeda and Vilmarie Casteuvi then edged out LSU’s 16th-ranked team of Bruna Colosio and Ana Paula Mores, 8-6, to clinch the match.
With the loss the Lady Tigers fall to an overall record of 10-6 and a 2-5 mark in Southeastern Conference play. Tennessee improved to 12-7 overall with a 3-1 record versus SEC opponents.
In singles play, LSU was victorious on court numbers 1-4. The Tigers’ 13th-ranked Colosio won a third-set tiebreaker to defeat the Volunteers’ 51st-ranked Ojeda, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(6), on court No. 1.
LSU’s senior leader, 64th-ranked Mores, was the first Lady Tiger to win a match by dominating Tennessee’s Agnes Wiski on court No. 2, 6-0, 6-2.
Junior Fernanda Tsucamoto and sophomore Tami Botts were also victorious for LSU in singles play. Botts narrowly defeated Casteuvi, 7-6(4), 7-5, on court No. 4, while Tsucamoto picked up a big win in No. 4 singles, 6-4, 6-3, over Meiling Parks.
“We did a great job today in singles play,” Minnis said. “But we just didn’t come through with a win in doubles to pick up the victory.”
The LSU Lady Tigers will next be in action March 29, on the road against the Arkansas Lady Razorbacks in Fayetteville, Ark. The match is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m.
#20 TENNESSEE 5, LSU 4.
SINGLES
No. 1 – #13 Bruna Colosio (LSU) def. #51 Alison Ojeda (TENN), 3-, 6-4, 7-6(6).
No. 2 – #64 Ana Paula Mores (LSU) def. Agnes Wiski (TENN), 6-0, 6-2.
No. 3 – Tami Botts (LSU) def. Vilmarie Casteuvi (TENN), 7-6(4), 7-5.
No. 4 – Fernanda Tsucamoto (LSU) def. Meiling Parks (TENN), 6-4, 6-3.
No. 5 – Candy Reid (TENN) def. Lauren Haddix (LSU), 6-2, 6-3.
No. 6 – Crystal Cleveland (TENN) def. Mandy Rice (LSU), 6-0, 6-0.
DOUBLES
No. 1 – Ojeda/Casteuvi (TENN) def. #16 Colosio/Mores (LSU), 8-6.
No. 2 – Reid/Wiski (TENN) def. Tsucamoto/ Amy McIlhaney (LSU), 8-3.
No. 3 – Cleveland/Parks (TENN) def. Haddix/Botts (LSU), 8-2.