STARKVILLE, Miss. — The LSU women’s tennis team looks to remain undefeated in Southeastern Conference play on Saturday, as the Lady Tigers challenge the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs at 1 p.m. in Starkville, Miss.
“This is going to be another tough match for our team,” said LSU head coach Tony Minnis. “Mississippi State has a very talented squad and they play extremely well at home. We need to continue to work hard in doubles play, fight until the end in the singles matches, and if we do that then we should have a good chance at winning.”
The Lady Tigers head into Saturday’s dual-match contest with an overall record of 7-1 and a 1-0 mark versus SEC competition. LSU notched its first-conference victory of the season on Sunday by overwhelming Alabama, 5-2, at home in the W.T. “Dub” Robinson Tennis Stadium.
Mississippi State enters the match with an even 2-2 dual-match record on the season. The Lady Bulldogs picked up wins against Southern Mississippi, 6-0, and Auburn, 4-3, but have been defeated by both South Alabama and Alabama in identical 6-1 losses. Mississippi State edged Auburn on the road in its most-recent match to improve to a 1-1 mark in SEC play.
LSU’s 42nd-ranked Bruna Colosio will lead the Lady Tigers in singles play against Mississippi State. Colosio possesses an 11-2 overall record and a 5-1 mark in dual matches.
In doubles, the combination of Colosio and Rocio Fantilli, the Lady Tigers’ freshman from Puerto Madryn, has yet to be defeated in doubles play. The pair has accumulated a 7-0 record at the No. 1 doubles position and is 3-0 versus ranked opponents. This season, the LSU duo has recorded wins over the ninth, 27th, and 39th-ranked doubles teams in the nation.
Last season, LSU was dropped by the Lady Bulldogs, 6-3, at home in the Lady Tigers’ opening SEC match of the year. The loss marked LSU’s second-in-a-row to Mississippi State, as the Lady Bulldogs were also victorious in 1999 by the score of 5-1. The Lady Tigers hold a substantial 16-5 advantage over Mississippi State in the overall-series standings.
The LSU women’s tennis team will take on the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Starkville, Miss.