BATON ROUGE — The 26th-ranked LSU women’s tennis team will look to end the regular season with a win Saturday for the first time since 1997 as they host the 15th-ranked Ole Miss Lady Rebels.
“This is a really big match for our team,” said LSU head coach Tony Minnis. “It’ll be the last home match for Ana (Mores), and she has meant so much for this team that we would like to be able to win her final home match for her.”
Ana Paula Mores, LSU’s lone senior, will play in the final home match of her career Saturday. She has already led the Lady Tigers to a 59-38 record during her four years, three NCAA appearances, and nationally-ranked finishes of No. 17, No. 26, and No. 28.
The 66th-ranked Mores is in the midst of a 10-match winning streak and has accumulated a 30-6 overall record this season. With a win Saturday, Mores will tie Carol Boston as the ninth-winningest singles player in LSU history with 95. Mores’ current career record is 94-45.
“Ana is both an outstanding tennis player and an outstanding person,” Minnis said. “She has been an honor to coach these past four years, she is probably the most dedicated player that I’ve ever coached, and we are all going to miss her personality as well as her talent.”
The Lady Tigers have an overall record of 12-8 this season, but are only 3-7 in the Southeastern Conference. Ole Miss is 14-6 this season and will enter Saturday’s match with a 7-3 mark versus conference opponents.
LSU is currently tied for eighth place in the SEC with Mississippi State, while the Lady Rebels are in sole possession of the fourth-place spot. Georgia, the third-ranked team in the nation, leads the conference with a 9-0 record.
“We have gained a lot of momentum lately by winning three of our last four matches,” said Minnis. “We have a great opportunity to knock off one of the top teams in our conference at home tomorrow, and hopefully we can capitalize.”
The match between the 26th-ranked LSU Lady Tigers and 15th-ranked Ole Miss will begin Saturday at 1 p.m. in the “Dub” Robinson Tennis Stadium. LSU’s Mores will be honored before the match at approximately 12:30 p.m. for her illustrious four-year career as a Lady Tiger.