HOUSTON — The LSU women’s tennis team heads to Houston for its second non-conference battle in three days on Thursday, as the Lady Tigers are set to face the Houston Lady Cougars at 1:30 p.m. in the UH Varsity Tennis Center. On Tuesday, LSU defeated Florida State in a thrilling, 4-3, come-from-behind victory at home in Baton Rouge.
“We need to take the momentum that we gained in yesterday’s victory and build on it,” said LSU head coach Tony Minnis. “This is only our second road trip of the season, and Houston is a good team. We need to come out and fight hard tomorrow to get another win. We can’t sit back and relax after beating Florida State.”
The LSU women’s tennis team enters Thursday’s contest with a 5-1 overall dual-match record. The Lady Tigers have picked up victories against Centenary, West Florida, Southern, UL-Monroe and Florida State. LSU’s lone loss of the season was a 5-2 defeat at the hands of Texas A&M on the road in College Station, Texas.
At this early point in the 2001 season, Houston has accumulated a 1-2 overall record. The Lady Cougars have recorded identical, 6-1, losses versus both UT-Arlington and Central Florida in dual play, as well as a 5-2 win versus cross-town rival Rice in the team’s most recent match. Houston will begin Conference USA competition on February 23 at Marquette.
Thursday’s match marks LSU’s final non-conference duel before opening SEC play this Sunday at 1 p.m. in the W.T. “Dub” Robinson Tennis Center. The Lady Tigers will host the 7-1 Alabama Crimson Tide in the conference opener for both teams.
Last season, LSU improved its all-time record versus the Lady Cougars to 8-2 with a 7-2 victory at home in Baton Rouge. In the most-recent contest between the two teams in Houston, the Lady Tigers were also victorious by the score of 7-2 during the 1999 season. LSU has not been defeated by the Lady Cougars since 1990 when Houston posted a 5-2 win.
The LSU women’s tennis team will face the Houston Lady Cougars at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 15, at the UH Varsity Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Houston.