BATON ROUGE, La— The LSU women’s tennis team opens the 2016 spring season with a doubleheader against Nicholls and Southern at the new LSU Tennis Complex Saturday at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
After 39 years at W.T. ‘Dub’ Robinson Stadium, the program has found a new home. The complex boasts 12 outdoor courts, state of the art locker rooms, coaches’ offices, training room and cardio room. Most importantly though are the six indoor courts for competition and practice.
“We are excited to compete for the first time this year,” co-head coach Julia Sell said. “I’m looking forward to open our beautiful new facility.”
The Lady Tigers are ranked No. 21 in the country and are coming off a record breaking year under co-head coaches Julia Sell and Michael Sell. Last season, the team reached the 20-win mark for just the third time in school history. The Sells also led the team to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time and the semifinal of the SEC Tournament for the third time in school history.
Joana Vale Costa leads the way for LSU on court one. Vale Costa is ranked No. 23 in the ITA singles poll and finished the fall with a 6-2 record. The junior won 30 matches a year ago and qualified for NCAA Singles Championships.
At No. 93, Skylar Kuykendall returns to the court after an impressive junior campaign. Last season, Kuykendall finished with a 30-8 record and became the 15th player in school history to reach the 30-win mark. The senior went on an 11-match win streak and led the NCAA in wins for the majority of the season.
Freshman Jessica Golovin is ranked No. 52 heading into the season. Golovin is the highest ranked American player to ever play for the Lady Tigers. The New York native finished the fall 9-3, which included a 4-1 record against ranked foes.
The LSU women’s tennis team is a combined 34-0 against Nicholls and Southern. Last season, the Lady Tigers opened the season with a 7-0 victory over the Jaguars. In a midseason match, LSU defeated Nichols 5-1.
Live results of the match will be available at LSUStats.com.
For more information on the LSU women’s tennis program, follow us on Twitter @lsuwten and @LSUJuliaSell, on Instagram @LSUWTen and onwww.Facebook.com/lsuwten.