NASHVILLE — The LSU women’s tennis team will embark on its toughest Southeastern Conference road trip of the 2003 dual-match season on Friday as the Lady Tigers challenge the 13th-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores at 2:30 p.m. in Nashville, Tenn.
“Vanderbilt and Kentucky are both very good teams,” said LSU head coach Tony Minnis. “Vanderbilt is the 13th-ranked team in the nation right now and Kentucky is No. 15. Both teams are playing some really good tennis this season, but I also think that we have been playing well and we had a great week of practice.”
The Lady Tigers are scheduled to face off with the 15th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats at noon in the Sunday match of the weekend road trip.
LSU heads into Friday’s matchup with an overall record of 8-8 and a 1-5 mark versus conference opponents. Four of the Lady Tigers’ five conference losses have come against foes currently ranked among the top 20. LSU has been defeated in hard-fought contests this season by No. 5 Florida, No. 6 Georgia, No. 7 Tennessee and the 20th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.
Vanderbilt enters the SEC cross-divisional contest with an overall record of 13-3 and a 4-2 mark against conference rivals. The Commodores are currently in the midst of a four-match winning streak and own a perfect 12-0 record at home. On March 15, Vanderbilt upended top-ranked Florida, 4-3, to pick up its first victory over the Gators in its 23 years of existence.
“It is always hard to win on the road in the SEC,” Minnis said. “Vanderbilt plays tough on their home court and they were able to defeat Florida last week. That was a big win for them and their program and I’m sure that they will try and get the same kind of support from their fans this week. It should be a really good tennis match.”
LSU owns a slim 14-12 advantage in its all-time rivalry against Vanderbilt, but the Commodores have been victorious in the previous five contests. Since 1997, Vanderbilt has registered consecutive wins of 7-2, 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 and 4-3.
In last season’s matchup, the fifth-ranked Commodores were able to hold off the LSU women’s tennis team, 4-3, in a thrilling SEC dual match held in Baton Rouge.
The LSU women’s tennis team will attempt to earn its first victory over Vanderbilt since the 1997 season on Friday as the Lady Tigers challenge the 13th-ranked Commodores at 2:30 p.m. at the Brownlee O. Currey, Jr. Tennis Center in Nashville, Tenn.