BATON ROUGE — The LSU women’s tennis team kicks off a three-match swing on the West Coast when the Lady Tigers take on Long Beach State at El Dorado Park at 3:30 p.m. CT Saturday.
The match marks the first time the two programs have met.
LSU (1-0) is coming off a dual season-opening 5-2 victory over Tulsa, Jan. 27, in a match played indoors. The match against Long Beach State (2-2) will be the Lady Tigers’ first outdoor dual match of the season.
“We are really excited to have the opportunity to play three quality teams in California,” LSU head coach Tony Minnis said. “It’s also homecoming for two of our players, Megan Falcon and Mykala Hedberg, who get a chance to play in front of their friends and family, so it’s very exciting.”
The Lady Tigers are led by eighth-ranked Falcon, who holds a 9-2 singles record. Sophomore Hannah Robinson enters the match against Long Beach with an 8-2 record following a straight-set victory against Tulsa’s Agostina Santoro, 6-1, 6-2. Senior Tiffany Tucker leads LSU in wins with 10 and is currently riding an eight match win streak.
In doubles, the Lady Tigers are led by Hedberg, a native of Oxnard, Calif., and Staten Spencer who have combined for a 6-2 record and a No. 30 national ranking.
Coming off a 7-0 victory over Cal State Fullerton, the 49ers are led in singles by Hannah Grady and Deborah Armstrong, who hold 11-3 and 11-6 records respectively. In doubles, Long Beach is led by Grady and Stephanie Bengson as the duo holds a 7-3 record.
“Long Beach is a very good team. They finished in the top 20 a couple years ago, and the last two years they have made the NCAA tournament. We expect a battle,” Minnis said.
After the match against the 49ers, LSU will take one day off before facing No. 19 Pepperdine in Malibu, Calif., on Monday. The Lady Tigers will take on UC-Irvine in Irvine, Calif., on Tuesday to conclude their stay on the West Coast.