LSU Gold

Women's Tennis Falls at Alabama, 7-0

by Mark Slavich
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Women's Tennis Falls at Alabama, 7-0

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The LSU Lady Tiger tennis team fell to No. 35 Alabama 7-0 on Sunday afternoon at the Alabama Tennis Stadium.

LSU (10-10, 4-4 SEC) dropped into second place in the SEC West behind Alabama with the defeat. The Crimson Tide improved its record to 11-5, 4-3 in conference.

“Alabama played extremely well today,” said LSU women’s tennis coach Tony Minnis. “We need to get home and refocus because we have a couple of tough matches next weekend.”

The Lady Tigers’ struggles in doubles play continued on Sunday as the Crimson Tide took all three doubles matches. Alabama’s 15th-ranked doubles team of Alexa Guarachi and Courtney McLane opened things up by defeating the Lady Tiger duo of Whitney Wolf and Olivia Howlett 8-2.

LSU’s Kaitlin Burns and Ariel Morton could never get things started on Court 3 as the Lady Tiger tandem fell to the Crimson Tide twosome of Mary Anne Macfarlane and Antonia Foehse by an 8-0 score.

On Court 3, Keri Frankenberger and Yvette Vlaar were unable to salvage a victory in doubles for the Lady Tigers as they fell to Taylor Lindsey and Alex Clay 8-3 to close out the doubles matches.

Unlike Friday’s match against Auburn, LSU could not turn the tables in singles play. Tied 2-2 in the first set, Wolf dropped four of the next five games to lose the first set 6-3 to Macfarlane of Alabama. The Crimson Tide senior carried her momentum into the second set as she took the set 6-2 and the match 6-3, 6-2.

LSU’s Frankenberger quickly fell behind Foehse 4-1 in their first set and went on to drop the set 6-2. The second set was not much better for the LSU sophomore as she slipped into a 2-0 hole on her way to falling 6-2, 6-4.

Vlaar and Alabama’s Lindsey were tied 1-1 in the first set, but the Crimson Tide junior proceeded to claim the next four games and eventually won the set 6-4. The Lady Tiger freshman was unable to steal any momentum in the second set, falling 6-2 in the set and 6-4, 6-2 in the match to give Alabama its fourth point to clinch the overall match victory.

Battling injury throughout the match, LSU’s Wilson dropped her first set to Clay of Alabama 6-1. Despite battling tough in the second set and cutting Clay’s lead to 4-3 at one point, Wilson was unable to come back as she lost the set 6-3 and the match 6-1, 6-3.

Howlett provided the Lady Tigers with one of their two first-set victories as she claimed a 7-5 win in her first set with Guarachi. Unfortunately, the junior college transfer was unable to maintain her momentum as Guarachi took the final two sets to claim a 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 win.

Like Howlett, Burns opened her match by taking the first set from Alabama’s McLane 7-6. The Crimson Tide junior responded in the second set, winning 6-0. Tied 5-5 in the deciding set, the LSU sophomore was unable to reclaim her initial momentum and provide the Lady Tigers with their only singles victory, dropping the set 7-5 and losing the match 6-7, 6-0, 7-5.

LSU will aim to get back to its winning ways when it returns home for its final pair of home matches this weekend, beginning with a matchup against No. 20 Vanderbilt on Friday at 3 p.m. CDT.

Follow the LSU women’s tennis team on Twitter @LSUwten and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/LSUwten.
 
No. 35 Alabama 7, LSU 0
April 3, 2011 at Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Alabama Tennis Stadium

Singles
1. #40 Mary Anne Macfarlane (UA) def. #66 Whitney Wolf (LSU) 6-3, 6-2
2. #85 Alexa Guarachi (UA) def. Olivia Howlett (LSU) 5-7, 6-2, 6-1
3. #111 Courtney McLane (UA) def. Kaitlin Burns (LSU) 6-7, 6-0, 7-5
4. Alex Clay (UA) def. Ebie Wilson (LSU) 6-1, 6-3
5. Antonia Foehse (UA) def. Keri Frankenberger (LSU) 6-2, 6-4
6. Taylor Lindsey (UA) def. Yvette Vlaar (LSU) 6-4, 6-2

Doubles
1. #15 Alexa Guarachi/Courtney McLane (UA) def. Whitney Wolf/Olivia Howlett (LSU) 8-2
2. Taylor Lindsey/Alex Clay (UA) def. Keri Frankenberger/Yvette Vlaar (LSU) 8-3
3. #60 Mary Anne Macfarlane/Antonia Foehse (UA) def. Kaitlin Burns/Ariel Morton (LSU) 8-0

Order of Finish
Singles: 1,5,6,4,2,3
Doubles: 1,3,2

Team Records
LSU: 10-10 (4-4 in SEC)
Alabama: 11-5 (4-3 in SEC)