STARKVILLE, Miss. — LSU’s 42nd-ranked Bruna Colosio defeated Mississippi State’s Amelie Detriviere in a third-set tiebreaker on Saturday, 6-0, 5-7, 7-6(2), to clinch the Southeastern Conference match for the Lady Tigers here at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre in Starkville, Miss.
“I’m extremely proud of the way that our team played today,” said LSU head coach Tony Minnis. “Winning the doubles point was huge, and Bruna maintained her composure in the third set of her match to win it for us. This was a very big victory for us, because it is always difficult to travel here and beat a tough team.”
With the win, the LSU women’s tennis team remained undefeated in SEC competition and improved its overall record to 8-1 on the season. The Lady Tigers possess a 2-0 conference record, which marks the team’s best-SEC start since 1997 when LSU began the season 4-0 against conference opponents. Mississippi State dropped to an overall record of 2-3 and a 1-2 mark in conference play.
LSU jumped out to an early lead on Saturday as the Lady Tigers earned the doubles point with wins at courts No. 1 and 2.
The Lady Tigers’ combination of Amy McIlhaney and Fernanda Tsucamoto dominated Mississippi State’s duo of Yumi Ueda and Anca Vasiloaica, 8-0, on court No. 2, while LSU’s pair of Colosio and Rocio Fantilli remained undefeated on the season with an 8-4 victory in No. 1 doubles. As a tandem, Colosio and Fantilli have accumulated an 8-0 record in doubles play.
“I knew that if we were able to take the doubles point, then we would have a good chance at winning the match,” Minnis said. “Singles play was a battle and it came down to the wire. I’m just glad that we were able to come out on top.”
The SEC rivals split the first four-singles matches on Saturday as Mississippi State won on courts No. 3 and 6, and the Lady Tigers picked up victories at courts No. 4 and 5. LSU’s Lauren Haddix defeated the Lady Bulldogs’ Anca Vasiloaica, 7-5, 6-4, on court No. 4, and the Lady Tigers’ Fernanda Tsucamoto knocked off Linda Mattson in No. 5 singles by the score of 6-4, 6-3.
With the total-team score of the match reading 3-2 in favor of LSU, the Lady Bulldogs’ Carole Soubis outlasted Fantilli, 7-6(2), 1-6, 7-5, on court No. 2 to knot the score at three-points apiece.
Colosio, with the match on the line, finished off both Detriviere and Mississippi State by picking up the 6-0, 5-7, 7-6(2) victory on court No. 1. Colosio improved to an overall record of 12-2 on the season.
The LSU women’s tennis team will next be in action on March 4, as the Lady Tigers host Florida at 1 p.m. in the W.T. “Dub” Robinson Tennis Stadium.
LSU 4, Mississippi State 3
Singles
1. #42 Bruna Colosio (LSU) def. Amelie Detriviere (MSU), 6-9, 5-7, 7-6(2).
2. Carole Soubis (MSU) def. Rocio Fantilli (LSU), 7-6(2), 1-6, 7-5.
3. Claudia Oliveira (MSU) def. Tami Botts (LSU), 6-3, 6-3.
4. Lauren Haddix (LSU) def. Anca Vasiloaica (MSU), 7-5, 6-4.
5. Fernanda Tsucamoto (LSU) def. Camila Sagae (MSU), 6-2, 6-4.
6. Linda Mattsson (MSU) def. Amy McIlhaney (LSU), 6-4, 6-3.
Doubles
1. Colosio/Fantilli (LSU) def. Detriviere/Oliveira (MSU), 8-4.
2. McIlhaney/Tsucamoto (LSU) def. Ueda/Vasiloaica (MSU), 8-0.
3. Sagae/Soubis (MSU) def. Botts/Haddix (LSU), 8-3.