Baton Rouge, La. – The No. 19 LSU women’s tennis team (9-2, 4-2 SEC) will host two Top 25 matches over the weekend at the LSU Tennis Complex. The Tigers will begin the weekend with a match against No. 3 Georgia at 5 p.m. CT on Friday, March 12, before concluding the weekend by facing No. 23 Tennessee at noon CT on Sunday, March 14.
In compliance with COVID-19 protocols, matches at the LSU Tennis Complex will be limited to 800 people for outdoor matches. Indoor matches are limited to a players’ list and 50 spots available for the general public on a first come, first serve basis. Attending fans at the LSU Tennis Complex must remained masked up and adhere to social distancing guidelines.
Georgia (Mar. 12)
Tennessee (Mar. 14)
Selling Points
“We’re excited for another big weekend at the LSU Tennis Complex,” co-head coach Michael Sell said. “We’ve had a quality week of practice and we’ll want to continue the progress we’ve shown this season. We’ll look to carry our momentum we’ve built this season into these matches. It’s always exciting to play Top 25 matchups at home!”
Vs. Georgia
LSU is seeking its second win against Georgia in program history. When the two teams last met in the quarterfinals of the 2019 SEC Tournament, the Bulldogs took the match by a score of 4-0.
The Bulldogs currently sit at No. 3 in the ITA team rankings with a 9-1 record, with their lone loss coming in a 4-3 defeat against North Carolina. In doubles play, Georgia is yet to drop a doubles point this season and is led by the No. 37-ranked duo of Elena Christofi and Morgan Coppoc. In singles play, five Bulldogs are nationally ranked, led by No. 16 Katarina Jokic.
Vs. Tennessee
The Tigers and Volunteers have met 45 times over the years, with Tennessee holding a 28-17 advantage in the series. When the teams last met in 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee came out on top in a 4-0 contest.
Tennessee currently sits at 9-4 overall in the season and 3-2 in SEC play, with wins against Florida, Ole Miss, and South Carolina. The Volunteers boast three players in the singles rankings, led by No. 52 Rebeka Mertena. Daria Kuczer leads the team in singles wins, starting the dual season 10-1 with wins at the No. 3-6 singles spots.
Last Time Out
The Tigers split the home weekend at 1-1, falling to Ole Miss 4-0 on Friday night before bouncing back on Sunday afternoon with a 4-0 sweep over Mississippi State.
Tiger Tidbits
Seniors Taylor Bridges and Paris Corley lead the team in wins in both singles and doubles competition in the overall season. Corley currently sits at a team-high 14-2 in singles, with Bridges not far behind at 12-6. In doubles play, the two became the first duo to reach double digit wins in the season over the weekend, sitting at 10-2 when playing together.
Sophomore Nina Geissler has enjoyed the most singles play success thus far in the dual season, dropping only one match with an 8-1 record. Overall, Geissler sits at 13-5, which puts her second in the singles win rankings for the Tigers.
In the latest ITA Rankings, LSU remained at No. 19 in the team rankings. In individual rankings, the Tigers are represented in both doubles and singles. Senior Eden Richardson and partner Geissler checked in as the No. 14 doubles duo in the nation, while in singles Bridges is ranked No. 41 and sophomore Safiya Carrington checks in at No. 83.
Social Center
For more information on the LSU women’s tennis program follow the Tigers on Twitter @lsuwten , on Instagram @LSUWTen , and on www.Facebook.com/lsuwten.