BATON ROUGE — The LSU women’s tennis team won two matches on Wednesday by pulling out a tight, 4-3 victory over Colorado in the first match before beating Southern, 5-2 in the second match at W.T. “Dub” Robinson Tennis Stadium.
“I was really pleased with the outcomes today,” LSU head coach Tony Minnis said. “Colorado was a tough match, and Southern played well. I’m happy to get a couple wins to get back on the winning track, so I’m excited with how we played today.”
In doubles against Colorado, LSU’s Megan Falcon and Mykala Hedberg continued their strong play as they defeated Monica Milewski and Camila Belassi, 8-5. The Lady Tiger tandem fell behind 4-1 early but responded by winning six games in a row to go up, 7-4. After losing one more game, Falcon and Hedberg closed out the match.
LSU (10-6, 3-3 SEC) did not find similar success on courts two or three as Colorado won on both courts to clinch the doubles point and go up 1-0.
After falling in doubles, LSU responded quickly in singles as Hedberg cruised by Belassi, 6-2, 6-0 to even the match at 1-1. Not too long after Hedberg finished, 19th-ranked Falcon made it 2-1 LSU with a, 6-1, 6-2 victory over Milewski.
The Buffaloes tied the match at 2-2 when Franziska Jendrian beat Kylie Adamek, 6-3, 6-2 on court six. The Lady Tigers retook the lead in the match, 3-2 when Nicole Kantor defeated Gleisy Torres Torres in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2.
Colorado (6-7, 3-0 Big 12) again had an answer as Melisa Esposito won a hard-fought match over Staten Spencer, 7-5, 6-4.
With the match tied at 3-3, LSU’s Hannah Robinson and Colorado’s Veera Nurmi went back and forth on court four as Robinson won the first set, 6-3, and Nurmi won the second, 6-4. Nurmi broke Robinson in the third set to go up 4-2, but the Monroe, La., native responded.
Robinson broke Nurmi in the next game to cut it to 4-3, but Nurmi went up 40-love in the following game. Robinson fought back, pushed the game to deuce and won to make it 4-4. Robinson won the next two games to clinch the match, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 and give LSU the victory, 4-3.
Against Southern (9-9, 8-0 SWAC) in the nightcap, LSU swept doubles to go up 1-0. Falcon and Hedberg won their fourth straight match and moved their record to 9-2 by beating Bethlehem Workeneh and Janelle Mosley, 8-3.
In singles, Southern’s Megan Wiltz picked up a win on court two when Hedberg retired with the score, 5-2 in the first set in favor of Wiltz.
Tied at 1-1, LSU roared back with three victories on courts one, three and four to clinch the match, 4-1.
Sloane Mathis picked up her second victory in dual play on court six to give LSU a 5-1 advantage. Mathis lost the first set, 6-4 but responded by shutting out Southern’s Gabrielle Marshall, 6-0 in the second set, and Mathis closed out her match in a third-set super tiebreaker, 10-5.
LSU will return to conference play Friday when the Lady Tigers take on South Carolina at 1 p.m.
#27 LSU 4, #67 Colorado 3
March 26, 2008 at Baton Rouge, La.
Singles competition:
1. #19 Megan Falcon (LSU) def. Monica Milewski (CU) 6-1, 6-2
2. Mykala Hedberg (LSU) def. Camila Belassi (CU) 6-2, 6-0
3. Nicole Kantor (LSU) def. Gleisy Torres Torres (CU) 6-1, 6-2
4. Hannah Robinson (LSU) def. Veera Nurmi (CU) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
5. Melisa Esposito (CU) def. Staten Spencer (LSU) 7-5, 6-4
6. Franziska Jendrian (CU) def. Kylie Adamek (LSU) 6-3, 6-2
Doubles competition:
1. Megan Falcon/Mykala Hedberg (LSU) def. Monica Milewski/Camila Belassi (CU) 8-5
2. Franziska Jendrian/Melisa Esposito (CU) def. Nicole Kantor/Staten Spencer (LSU) 8-5
3. Gleisy Torres Torres/Abbie Probert (CU) def. Hannah Robinson/Kylie Adamek (LSU) 8-2
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (2,1,6,3,5,4)
#27 LSU 5, Southern 2
March 26, 2008 at Baton Rouge, La.
Singles competition:
1. #19 Megan Falcon (LSU) def. Janelle Mosley (SU) 6-0, 6-1
2. Megan Wiltz (SU) def. Mykala Hedberg (LSU) 5-2, retired
3. Nicole Kantor (LSU) def. Sydney Lartigue (SU) 6-0, 6-0
4. Hannah Robinson (LSU) def. Kathryn Curtis (SU) 6-1, 6-0
5. Bethlehem Workeneh (SU) def. Kylie Adamek (LSU) 6-3, 6-0
6. Sloane Mathis (LSU) def. Gabrielle Marshall (SU) 4-6, 6-0, (10-5)
Doubles competition:
1. Megan Falcon/Mykala Hedberg (LSU) def. Bethlehem Workeneh/Janelle Mosley (SU) 8-3
2. Kylie Adamek/Hannah Robinson (LSU) def. Megan Wiltz/Kathryn Curtis (SU) 8-5
3. Sloane Mathis/Nicole Kantor (LSU) def. Gabrielle Marshall/Sydney Lartigue (SU) 8-5
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (2,1,3,4,6,5)