TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The LSU women’s tennis team will begin play in its arduous Southeastern Conference schedule on Friday as the Lady Tigers face off with the Alabama Crimson Tide at 3 p.m. in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
“This is going to be tough, hard-fought match,” said LSU head coach Tony Minnis. “Alabama is a talented team this season and they’ve been playing some inspired tennis lately. Our team has had a good week of practice and our girls are eager to begin conference play.”
LSU heads into Friday’s conference opener with a 6-3 overall record and a 1-1 mark in road contests this season. In their two matches away from the friendly confines of the W.T. “Dub” Robinson Tennis Stadium, the Lady Tigers earned a 7-0 victory over Houston and fell to Texas A&M, 5-2.
The Crimson Tide enters SEC play with an 8-1 record and a perfect 7-0 mark at the Alabama Varsity Courts.
In its seven home matches, the Alabama women’s tennis team outscored the opposition 47-2 and recorded five shutout victories. The Crimson Tide is currently in the midst of a three-match winning streak after notching wins over Houston, 7-0, West Virginia, 6-1, and Florida State, 4-3.
“The Western Division is going to be a wide open race this season,” Minnis said. “All of the teams are very competitive and anybody could pretty much win it. This is a huge weekend for us, because getting off to a good start would put us in a really good position.”
Last season, Alabama rallied in singles play to edge the Lady Tigers, 4-3, in the annual matchup between the Western Division rivals. The win proved to be the Crimson Tide’s first victory over LSU since 1994. The Lady Tigers hold a significant 21-7 lead in the all-time series.
The LSU women’s tennis team will look to begin SEC play with a victory on Friday as the Lady Tigers challenge the Alabama Crimson Tide at 3 p.m. at the Alabama Varsity Courts in Tuscaloosa, Ala.