KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The LSU women’s tennis team will play its third-consecutive road contest on Friday, as the Lady Tigers challenge the 10th-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols at 4 p.m. (Central time) in Knoxville, Tenn.
“Playing on the road in the SEC is always extremely difficult,” said LSU head coach Tony Minnis. “It’s even more difficult when you’re playing a team as tough as Tennessee. They are very talented this season and we’re going to have to play mistake-free tennis tomorrow.”
LSU heads into Friday’s Southeastern Conference matchup with a 7-4 overall record on the season. Last week, the Lady Tigers opened league play and fell to both No. 5 Florida and No. 22 South Carolina. LSU, 1-3 on the road this season, will play its fifth dual match of the year away from home on Friday.
The Lady Vols enter the contest with an overall record of 12-4 on the season and a 3-1 mark versus conference opponents. Tennessee’s lone-SEC loss came against No. 2-ranked Vanderbilt, 4-3, on the road in Nashville, Tenn., on March 3.
Tennessee’s four losses this season have all come against teams ranked in the top five. The Lady Vols fell to No. 1 Georgia, 4-3, No. 2 Vanderbilt and fifth-ranked Wake Forest twice. Wake Forest dropped Tennessee in a regular-season matchup, 4-3, and, 6-1, in the ITA National Indoor Championships.
“They (Tennessee) have really played some tough competition this season, and so have we,” Minnis said. “This is our fourth-straight match against a team ranked in the top 25 and we’re used to competing against some of the best teams in the nation. We just need to have the confidence that we can win on the road.”
Last season, LSU was dropped by the Lady Vols at home in Baton Rouge, 6-1.
With the win, Tennessee earned a 15-10 advantage in the all-time series. The Lady Vols were also ranked No. 15 in the nation last season.
The LSU women’s tennis team will look to end a three-match losing streak on Friday, as the Lady Tigers battle the 10th-ranked Tennessee Vols at 4 p.m. (Central time) in Knoxville, Tenn.