BATON ROUGE – The LSU men’s tennis team recently released its complete 2011 spring tennis schedule.
LSU will host 12 home matches at W.T. ‘Dub’ Robinson Stadium against some of the top college tennis teams in the nation, as eight of the teams finished last season in the top 50 of the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings. Fans will have the opportunity to see 2010 NCAA semi-finalist Virginia, who finished the season ranked 3rd, and runner-up Tennessee, who finished at No. 2.
Admission to all home matches is free.
The road schedule isn’t any easier as the Tigers will hit the road to take on six teams who finished the season ranked in the top-25 by the ITA.
“The SEC is the strongest conference for our sport,” said LSU head coach Jeff Brown. “We play every team in the conference every year, and we have one of the toughest out-of-conference schedules in the nation. Our schedule is easily one of the top five toughest schedules in the nation. Our players come here to maximize their skills and this schedule is part of that process.”
The Tigers will kick off the season on Jan. 7 at the Key Biscayne Invitational, followed by the SEC Indoor Championships, which begin on Jan. 14. LSU will take part in the ITA Kickoff Weekend in Forth Worth, Texas, against Texas Tech, who finished last season ranked fifteenth, on Jan. 29 and either Cal or Auburn on Jan. 30.
The Tigers will open the home schedule on Jan. 3 with a double-header against in state opponents UL-Lafayette and UNO before hosting Rice on Feb. 6.
LSU will then face a tough six match road trip, which includes stops at No. 5 Ohio State, No. 10 Texas A&M and possibly 22nd ranked Wake Forest, depending on the team’s results at the ITA Team Indoor Championships.
SEC play begins March 4 when the Tigers will take on the Florida Gators in Gainesville, and the first home SEC match will be March 11 against the Ole Miss Rebels. SEC foes Mississippi State, Tennessee, Auburn, Alabama and Arkansas will also visit the ‘Dub’ this season, and the Tigers will travel to South Carolina, Georgia, Vanderbilt and Kentucky.
Following the regular season, LSU will make a second trip to Gainesville, Fla., for the 2011 SEC Tournament, beginning April 21.
The NCAA first and second rounds will be held at campus sites, May 13-15, while the NCAA Team Championships begin May 19 in Palo Alto, Calif. The NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships will follow the team championships, beginning May 25.
For the complete schedule with times and locations, log onto www.LSUsports.net/menstennis.