KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The LSU women’s tennis team opens Southeastern Conference play Friday when it travels to face Tennessee in Knoxville in a 4 p.m. CT match-up.
“Any time you can get a win in this conference it’s really big,” head coach Tony Minnis said. “The SEC is always so deep, and we’re looking to start out our slate with a win.”
The Lady Tigers enter the contest with a 7-1 record, coming off three straight wins including a sweep of Houston on Wednesday.
The Lady Vols own a 3-6 record, but still rank 29th by the ITA in the latest rankings. Eight of their nine matches have been against nationally ranked opponents, and two of their three wins came over top-50 opponents.
“Tennessee has played an extremely tough schedule,” Minnis said. “So their record isn’t necessarily as indicative of how good they are. They go to the (NCAA) Tournament almost every year, they’re always competitive and I expect nothing different this year.”
The Lady Tigers are behind 11-19 in the all-time series against Tennessee. LSU’s 4-3 win in the 2004 SEC Tournament quarterfinals is the only one it has recorded over the Lady Vols in the past seven tries.
The Lady Tigers have won their only match on the road this season, while the Lady Vols own a 2-2 record when playing in Knoxville.
LSU’s Lauren Seaman and Tiffany Tucker still stand at No. 35 in the ITA doubles poll, while Blakeley Griffith is ranked with two separate partners for the Lady Vols. She and Bryce Marable list at No. 53, while she comes in at No. 56 with Victoria Jones. Neither team places a singles competitor in the rankings.