COLLEGE PARK, Md. — The LSU women’s tennis team completed a successful opening day of its first fall tournament Friday, as they swept the doubles competition and won four out of seven singles matches.
“The freshmen were a little nervous, but they performed well,” LSU head coach Tony Minnis said. “Now that they got the first day jitters out of the way I expect them to have an even better outing tomorrow.”
In doubles competition, freshman sensation Hannah Robinson teamed up with sophomore Mykala Hedberg to knock off West Virginia’s Gabriella Blaskovicova and Stephanie LaFortune, 8-6, in the “A” flight.
Also in the “A” flight, sophomore Staten Spencer succeeded in her first action in over a year as she teamed up with freshman Nicole Kantor to defeat Penn State’s Andreea Niculescu and Sarah Lotto, 8-1.
In the “B” flight, junior Tiffany Tucker and freshman Ashley Murdock finished the doubles sweep for the Lady Tigers by dropping West Virginia’s Monica Lyskawa and Colleen Speaker, 8-2.
Hedberg continued her strong play in the singles “A” flight by defeating Maryland’s Maggie MacKeever, 7-6(2), 2-6, 6-3.
Kantor fell in her first set 6-0, but fought back in the second set to notch three games. The Missouri native’s comeback fell short as Yale’s Janet Kim went on to win the set 6-3.
In the “B” flight singles, Spencer fell to Kelly Walsh of West Virginia, 6-2, 6-3.
Robinson picked up her first singles win as a Lady Tiger by defeating Natalia Prinz of West Virginia, 6-2, 6-3.
Tucker and Murdock knocked off two Mountaineers in the “C” flight as Tucker defeated Blaskovicova, 6-0, 7-5, and Murdock won in three sets against LaFortune, 6-0,4-6,6-3.
Newcomer Sloane Mathis fought hard in her first competition as a Lady Tiger, but could not grab the win as she fell in both sets by 7-6(3) tiebreakers.
Play resumes Saturday at 9 a.m.
Singles
Flight A
Mykala Hedberg (LSU) def. Maggie MacKeever (MD) 7-6(2), 2-6, 6-3
Janet Kim (Yale) def. Nicole Kantor (LSU) 6-0, 6-3
Flight B
Kelly Walsh (WVU) def. Staten Spencer (LSU) 6-2, 6-3
Hannah Robinson (LSU) def. Natalia Prinz (WVU) 6-2, 6-3
Flight C
Tiffany Tucker (LSU) def. Gabriella Blaskovicova (WVU) 6-0, 7-5
Ashley Murdock (LSU) def. Stephanie LaFortune (WVU) 6-0, 4-6, 6-3
Flight D
Ashley Constantine (WVU) def. Sloane Mathis (LSU) 7-6(3), 7-6(3)
Doubles
Flight A
Hedberg/Robinson (LSU) def. Blaskovicova/LaFortune (WVU) 8-6
Kantor/Spencer (LSU) def. Niculescu/Lotto (PSU) 8-1
Flight B
Tucker/Murdock (LSU) def. Lyskawa/Speaker (WVU) 8-2