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Lady Tigers Tennis to Face Duke in NCAA First Round

by LSUsports.net (@LSUsports)
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Lady Tigers Tennis to Face Duke in NCAA First Round

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The LSU women’s tennis team will open play in the NCAA Tournament Saturday at noon CT when it battles No. 22 Duke at UNC’s Cone-Kenfield Stadium.

The winner of the match will face the winner of UNC and Marist College who will play prior to LSU’s match on Saturday at 9 a.m.

The winner of the two matches will meet Sunday at noon, with the regional winner advancing to the round of 16 at the NCAA Championships at Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ga. The round of 16 will begin play on Thursday, May 17.

“We are excited about the opportunity to go out and play against Duke. They have been a very solid team this year,” LSU head coach Tony Minnis said. “I have a lot of confidence.”

The Lady Tigers have faced the Blue Devils only one time in regular season play, and that came in 1986 as LSU defeated Duke 7-2.

LSU and Duke met for a second time this past fall in a tournament as the Blue Devils won 5-2 in singles play and 3-2 in doubles play.

The Blue Devils enter the tournament with an 11-10 record, while LSU is 16-9 overall. Both teams are coming off 4-0 losses in the quarterfinal rounds of their respective conference tournaments.

The Lady Tigers fell to eventual runner-up Florida in the Southeastern Conference tournament, while Duke was swept by Georgia Tech in the Atlantic Coastal Conference tournament.

“We have been playing much better the last part of the year,” Minnis said. “The girls have had a nice break and I think they are fresh and ready to go out and take a shot against Duke.”

Sophomore Megan Falcon, ranked No. 2 in the nation, will lead LSU into the tournament with an undefeated 23-0 record in the No. 1 slot.

She will likely match-up against Duke senior, Daniela Bercek, who is ranked No. 67 in the nation, and owns an 8-7 record in the No.1 slot.