NASHVILLE — LSU’s doubles combination of Rocio Fantilli and Lauren Seaman defeated Vanderbilt’s No. 1-ranked tandem of Sarah Riske and Aleke Tsoubanos, 8-4, on Friday, as the Lady Tigers fell to the 13th-ranked Commodores, 7-0, on the road at the Brownlee O. Currey Tennis Center.
“Vanderbilt is a tough team to play on the road,” said LSU head coach Tony Minnis. “They have a good fan base and I think that their players feed off of the home crowd. Despite the loss, I am pleased with how we played, because we picked up a huge doubles victory and we were close in most of the singles matches.”
With the loss, LSU dropped to an overall record of 8-9 on the season and fell to a 1-6 mark against Southeastern Conference opponents.
Five of the Lady Tigers’ six conference losses have come against foes currently ranked among the top-20 teams in the nation. LSU has also been defeated in conference matches this season by No. 5 Florida, No. 6 Georgia, No. 7 Tennessee and the 20th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.
Vanderbilt (14-3, 5-2 SEC) won the doubles point by picking up wins on two of the three courts and then swept the singles competition to earn the 7-0 victory on Friday. The win marked the Commodores’ fifth-consecutive victory and allowed Vanderbilt to remain undefeated while playing at home.
In doubles play, LSU’s combination of Fantilli and Seaman improved to 13-9 on the season and registered its first victory over a top-50 ranked opponent. The Lady Tigers’ tandem knocked off Vanderbilt’s Riske and Tsoubanos, 8-4, on court No. 1. The Commodores’ pair of Riske and Tsoubanos were the No. 1-ranked doubles team in the nation.
The LSU women’s tennis team will next be in action on Sunday as the Lady Tigers remain on the road to compete against the 15th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats at noon in Lexington, Ky.
#13 Vanderbilt (14-3, 5-2 SEC) def. LSU (8-9, 1-6 SEC), 7-0
Doubles
1. Fantilli/Seaman (LSU) def. #1 Riske/Tsoubanos (VU), 8-4
2. #26 Falk/Schmandt (VU) def. Mang/Ferguson (LSU), 8-3
3. Menees/Schellhas (VU) def. Caliari/Espinal (VU), 8-5
– – Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3
Singles
1. #11 Sarah Riske (VU) def. Rocio Fantilli (LSU), 7-5, 7-5
2. Kelly Schmandt (VU) def. Jessica Ferguson (LSU), 6-4, 6-2
3. #62 Aleke Tsoubanos (VU) def. Marina Chiarelli (LSU), 7-5, 6-4
4. Audra Falk (VU) def. Daysi Espinal (LSU), 6-0, 7-5
5. Annie Menees (VU) def. Camila Caliari (LSU), 6-2, 6-2
6. Kori Scott (VU) def. Lauren Seaman (LSU), 6-2, 6-2
– – Order of Finish: 2, 5, 6, 4, 3, 1