COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The LSU women’s tennis team dropped a tough match to Texas A&M 4-3 Sunday afternoon in College Station, Texas.
Coming into the match, the significant question was whether Texas A&M sophomore star Nazari Urbina would be available after playing several matches in the Fed Cup in Buenos Aires, Argentina, this past week.
Not only did the No. 17 Urbina play, but she proved why she is one of the nation’s best singles players in besting Lady Tiger junior and No. 33 Whitney Wolf in two sets 7-5, 6-3.
Despite the play of the Aggies’ ace, the Lady Tigers had their chances on Sunday. Texas A&M’s Morgan Frank and Christi Potgieter defeated LSU’s Kaitlin Burns and Yvette Vlaar 8-1 in the first doubles match to go final.
The other two doubles matches came down to the wire. The Lady Tiger pair of Ariel Morton and Ebie Wilson engaged in a hard-fought match with Aggies Stephanie Davidson and Sheri Olivier, but ended up falling 9-8. Wolf and LSU sophomore Keri Frankenberger fell to Texas A&M’s duo of Christi Liles and Janelle Cuthbertson by a similar 9-8 score as the Aggies were able to collect the all-important doubles point.
“It was a tough match,” said LSU women’s tennis coach Tony Minnis. “We fought really hard. We had opportunities to win the doubles point, but we didn’t get it done. I have to give Texas A&M credit.”
In singles play, Frank had no problem quickly dispatching Frankenberger 6-2, 6-1. Frank, ranked No. 102 in the ITA singles rankings, defeated the Gainesville, Fla., native by a similar score of 6-0, 6-3 during last season’s match in Baton Rouge.
LSU received a solid performance from Morton who topped Texas A&M’s Lauren Santacroce 7-5, 6-2. Burns also provided the Lady Tigers with a solid effort, defeating Potgieter in three sets 7-5, 4-6, 6-1.
On court four, Vlaar fought hard but lost the first set to Liles 7-5. The second set was no contest as Liles blanked the LSU freshman 6-0 to take the match 7-5, 6-0.
After losing to the Aggie senior in doubles play, Wilson took the first set of their singles match from Davidson 7-5, but fell behind in the second set 3-5. However, the Mobile, Ala., native battled back to take the set in a tiebreaker and consequently the match 7-5, 7-6 to close out the day.
The Lady Tigers next head to Rice to face the No. 47 Owls on Tuesday at 1 p.m.
Follow the LSU women’s tennis team on Twitter @LSUwten and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/LSUwten.
No. 34 Texas A&M 4, LSU 3
February 6, 2011 at College Station, Texas
George P. Mitchell Tennis Center
Singles
1. No.17 Nazari Urbina (TAMU) def. No. 33 Whitney Wolf (LSU), 7-5, 6-3
2. No. 102 Morgan Frank (TAMU) def. Keri Frankenberger (LSU), 6-2, 6-1
3. Kaitlyn Burns (LSU) def. Christi Potgieter (TAMU), 7-5, 4-6, 6-1
4. Christi Liles (TAMU) def. Yvette Vlaar (LSU), 7-5, 6-0
5. Ebie Wilson (LSU) def. Stephanie Davidson (TAMU), 7-5, 7-6 (4)
6. Ariel Morton (LSU) def. Lauren Santacroce (TAMU), 7-5, 6-2
Doubles
1. Janelle Cuthbertson/Liles (TAMU) def. Frankenberger/Wolf (LSU), 9-8 (6)
2. Frank/Potgieter (TAMU) def. Burns/Vlaar (LSU), 8-1
3. Davidson/Sheri Olivier (TAMU) def. Morton/Wilson (LSU), 9-8
Match Notes:
Match was originally scheduled for Feb. 5 at 1 p.m. but was pushed back one day due to inclement weather.
Team records:
Texas A&M: 2-2 (0-0 in Big 12)
LSU: 0-2 (0-0 in SEC)