BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU women’s tennis team (6-1) opened the weekend with a 4-0 win over the South Florida Bulls (4-4) on Friday afternoon inside the LSU Tennis Complex.
Taylor’s Thoughts
“Hard luck for USF with two injuries today,” head coach Taylor Fogleman said. “Our ladies played well in doubles and brought that energy over to singles for a good team win. We now need to keep our foot on the pedal and continue to improve in all facets if we want to be the team that we know we can.”
Doubles Results
Junior Gaby Rivera made her LSU debut at the No. 3 doubles court alongside Maya Tahan as the pair faced off against Gargi Pawar and Kelly Vargas. The LSU duo was dominant on their court, blanking the Bull duo by a score of 6-0 to get the match rolling for the Tigers.
“A special shoutout to Gaby for her first match and win as a Tiger!” Fogleman said. “She’s worked hard to recover from an injury she sustained last year and we’re excited to have her on our team and representing LSU.”
The doubles point was clinched at the No. 2 spot, where Aran Teixidó Garcia and Florentine Dekkers took down Marta Falceto Font and Ireland Simme by a score of 6-2. The win improves Teixidó Garcia and Dekkers’ doubles record to 6-1 in dual matches, a team high.
Singles Results
The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the team match after Anita Sahdiieva claimed the No. 3 singles court over Kelly Vargas. Sahdiieva won the first five games before Vargas retired due to an injury. The win moves Sahdiieva’s tally in dual matches to an impressive 5-0 through seven matches this season.
The lead was extended to 3-0 as Teixidó Garcia earned a retirement win over Melisa Senli. The two players played out seven games, with Senli holding a 4-3 lead in the first set before she was forced to retire.
LSU clinched the match at the top singles spot, where Dekkers defeated Grace Schumacher in straight sets. Dekkers opened the match with her foot on the gas, only dropping one game in the first set on her way to a 6-1 win. The second set saw her take the early lead and not look back as she won 6-3 to get the fourth and final point of the match. The win was Dekkers’ fourth of the dual season and takes her overall singles tally to nine on the year in collegiate matches.
Up Next
The Tigers head to Dallas, Texas to take on the SMU Mustangs (2-4) at 11 a.m. CT on Sunday, February 18.
Follow Us
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.
LSU vs. South Florida
Feb 16, 2024
LSU Tennis Complex
LSU 4, USF 0
Singles
- Florentine Dekkers (LSU) def. Grace Schumacher (USF) 6-1, 6-3
- Aran Teixido Garcia (LSU) def. Melisa Senli (USF) 3-4, retired
- Anita Sahdiieva (LSU) def. Kelly Vargas (USF) 5-0, retired
- Maya Tahan (LSU) vs. Marta Falceto Font (USF) 6-6 (4-4), unfinished
- Gaby Rivera (LSU) vs. Gargi Pawar (USF) 6-3, 2-3, unfinished
- Kenna Erickson (LSU) vs. Ireland Simme (USF) 6-4, 4-4, unfinished
Doubles
- Kenna Erickson/Anita Sahdiieva (LSU) vs. Grace Schumacher/Nadja Bay Christians (USF) 4-3, unfinished
- Florentine Dekkers/Aran Teixido Garcia (LSU) def. Marta Falceto Font/Ireland Simme (USF) 6-2
- Gaby Rivera/Maya Tahan (LSU) def. Gargi Pawar/Kelly Vargas (USF) 6-0
Match Notes:
South Florida 4-4
LSU 6-1
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (3,2,1)
Official: Richie Weaver T-1:41 A-64