BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — LSU’s junior women’s tennis player, Tami Botts defeated Indiana’s Schlukebir, 6-4, 6-0, Saturday afternoon to advance to the championship match of the flight No. 2 singles draw at the Hoosier Classic Invitational here in Bloomington, Ind.
“Tami’s been playing some outstanding tennis lately,” said LSU head coach Tony Minnis. “I’m extremely proud of the way that she performed today, and hopefully she can continue to play well in the final tomorrow.”
Botts, who is undefeated on the season with a 3-0 record, will face Grimm from Indiana in Sunday’s championship match. The Lady Tigers’ junior from Ashland, Ore., defeated Middle Tennessee State’s Varnell, 7-5, 6-2, in the opening round of the tournament, and then squeaked past Indiana’s Hsia, 6-4, 7-5, to reach the semifinal round.
In the flight No. 1 draw of the Hoosier Classic Invitational, LSU’s Lauren Haddix advanced to the consolation final with a 6-0, 6-4, win over Kansas State’s Chuda. Haddix will face Navotna, another Kansas State foe, in the final.
After losing in the opening round of the tournament to Field of Indiana, Haddix moved on to the semifinal round by surprising Oklahoma State’s Pervez in a third set tiebreaker, 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (8).
“Lauren came out flat in her first match of the tournament, but since then she has been playing some really solid tennis,” said Minnis. “A win tomorrow would be a huge confidence builder for her, and I think that she can pull it out.”
Mandy Rice, LSU’s senior from New Orleans, La., will play for third-place honors Sunday versus Indiana’s Shlukebir in the singles flight No. 2 competition. Rice fell to Grimm, 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (9), in the semifinal round.
In doubles, the Lady Tigers’ duo comprised of Botts and Rice is set to challenge Oklahoma State’s team of Pervez/Williams in Sunday’s semifinal consolation match. The pair from LSU lost in the opening round to Indiana’s Field/Levin, 8-2, then defeated Kansas State’s Castillejos/Boyko, 8-5, in their first consolation match.
The Lady Tigers’ will conclude competition at the Hoosier Classic Invitational in Bloomington, Ind., Sunday beginning at 10 a.m.