BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU women’s tennis team (9-3, 1-1 SEC) earned its first Top 25 win of the season on Sunday as they took down No. 14 South Carolina (8-3, 0-2 SEC) by a score of 4-1 before ending the day with a 4-0 win over UL-Monroe (1-5) at the LSU Tennis Complex.
The win against No. 14 South Carolina marks the first Top 25 win for the Tigers since 2021, and the first under head coach Taylor Fogleman.
Taylor’s Thoughts
“A total team effort today,” head coach Taylor Fogleman said. “In doubles, singles, wins and losses it was a super resilient effort by the group. I’m so proud of our team for their performance against a well-coached South Carolina team and I’m happy they’re about to get a victory like that today. To get that win and then turn around and get another win and handle that match well was also great. A proud day for us for sure and I hope it’ll spur us on to be even hungrier and keep improving each day like we have been.”
Doubles Results – South Carolina
The Tigers struck first in doubles as Florentine Dekkers and Aran Teixidó Garcia opened the round with a win at the No. 2 doubles spot over Misa Malkin and Elise Mills. The LSU duo held the lead throughout the match and went on to win 6-3.
The Gamecocks tied it up after No. 45 Ayana Akli and Sarah Hamner narrowly beat Anita Sahdiieva and Kenna Erickson at the top doubles court. The pairs battled back and forth and split 12 games at 6-6, requiring a tiebreaker to decide it. Akli and Hamner staved off match points and went on to win the tiebreaker, 8-6, and tie it up.
LSU clinched the doubles point after Gaby Rivera and Maya Tahan took down Shahar Biran and Olympe Lancelot at the No. 3. The two pairs battled in a close contest, splitting ten games at 5-5 before Rivera and Tahan won the final two to win 7-5 and secure the doubles point for the Tigers.
Singles Results – South Carolina
Carrying momentum into singles, Rivera made it 2-0 in the match after securing a straight set win at the No. 4 spot over Malkin. Rivera and Malkin battled it out in a back and forth first set, requiring a tiebreaker after splitting 12 games at 6-6. In the tiebreaker, Rivera took the lead and went on to win 7-4. The second set saw Rivera stay in front throughout, dropping two games as she won 6-2 to clinch the straight set victory. For Rivera, it’s her first singles win as a Tiger after returning to match play from injury in February.
South Carolina picked up its lone point of the match at the No. 1 singles court, where No. 7 Akli defeated Dekkers. Akli opened the match strong, taking the first set by a score of 6-2 before the two contested an even second set that required a tiebreaker to decide it. The tiebreaker saw Akli take an early lead and hold off a rally from Dekkers to narrowly win 7-5 and secure the win.
LSU’s lead extended to 3-1 after Sahdiieva took down No. 119 Biran in straight sets at the No. 3 spot. Sahdiieva and Biran split 12 games at 6-6 and required a tiebreaker to decide the first set, which Sahdiieva went on to win by a score of 7-4. The second set saw the LSU Tiger stay on top of the match, dropping two games as she won by a score of 6-2 to earn the win. Sahdiieva’s singles record improved to 7-0 with the win and it was the first SEC win for the transfer from Baylor.
The Tigers clinched the Top 25 win when Erickson defeated Lancelot in straight sets. Erickson took the lead to open the match and stayed in control of the first set as she went on to win, 6-3. The second set saw Erickson and Lancelot trade games back and forth, splitting 10 games at 5-5. The LSU Tiger finished strong, taking the next two games and winning 7-5 to clinch LSU’s first SEC win of the season. Individually, Erickson’s win was her fourth in the dual season and her first career SEC win.
Doubles Results – ULM
LSU returned to the courts two hours after their win against South Carolina to take on in-state foes UL-Monroe at 4:30 p.m. local time. The Tigers opened in style as Dekkers and Teixidó Garcia blanked Giovanna Pereira and Alice Klinteby, 6-0, at the No. 2 court. The win improved the LSU duo’s doubles record to 10-2 at the No. 2 court, a team high.
LSU clinched the doubles point moments later as Erickson and Sahdiieva defeated Angela Del Campo and Mariam Hatem at the No. 1 court. The Tigers dropped only one game as they won 6-1 and gave LSU a 1-0 lead in the match.
Despite the doubles point being clinched, the No. 3 court was allowed to play on and that saw Tahan and Emma Grant secure a win over Mackenzie King and Tamara Bachmann. In their first doubles match together, Tahan and Grant overcame a slow start to come from behind and grab a 6-4 win to secure a perfect three wins out of three in doubles for the Tigers. Tahan’s doubles record in dual play improved to 6-3 with the win, while the win marked Grant’s first collegiate doubles win and her first win in a dual match.
Singles Results – ULM
Teixido Garcia made it 2-0 on the night after earning a straight set win over Hatem at the No. 2 court. Teixidó Garcia claimed the first set, 6-4, and emphatically took the second set by a score of 6-2 to get the win. With the win, she improves to 8-1 in dual matches on the season, with all eight wins coming in straight sets.
The lead was extended to 3-0 after Erickson defeated Pereira in straight sets at the No. 4 spot. Erickson opened with her foot on the gas, only dropping one game as she took set one, 6-1. The second set saw her take the early lead and not look back on her way to a 6-2 win. The win was her second singles win of the day, and her fifth of the year.
The Tigers clinched a 4-0 team win as Sahdiieva defeated doubles-foe Del Campo in straight sets at the No. 3 court. Sahdiieva overcame a slow start to the first set and grabbed a 6-4 win before taking the second set by a score of 6-2 to secure the team victory for the Tigers. Sahdiieva’s singles record in dual play improved to 8-0 with the win, which is tied with Teixidó Garcia for the most on the team.
Up Next
LSU hits the road for a weekend in Mississippi as they take on the Ole Miss Rebels at 3 p.m. CT on Friday, March 8 before ending the weekend at Mississippi State at 12 p.m. CT on Sunday, March 10.
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LSU vs. South Carolina
Mar 3, 2024
LSU Tennis Complex
#63 LSU 4, #14 South Carolina 1
Singles
- #7 Ayana Akli (SC) def. Florentine Dekkers (LSU) 6-2, 7-6 (7-5)
- Aran Teixido Garcia (LSU) vs. #6 Sarah Hamner (SC) 3-6, 7-5, 4-1, unfinished
- Anita Sahdiieva (LSU) def. #119 Shahar Biran (SC) 7-6 (7-4), 6-2
- Gaby Rivera (LSU) def. Misa Malkin (SC) 7-6 (7-4), 6-2
- Maya Tahan (LSU) vs. Elise Mills (SC) 6-3, 4-6, 3-3, unfinished
- Kenna Erickson (LSU) def. Olympe Lancelot (SC) 6-3, 7-5
Doubles
- #45 Ayana Akli/Sarah Hamner (SC) def. Anita Sahdiieva/Kenna Erickson (LSU) 7-6 (8-6)
- Florentine Dekkers/Aran Teixido Garcia (LSU) def. Misa Malkin/Elise Mills (SC) 6-3
- Gaby Rivera/Maya Tahan (LSU) def. Shahar Biran/Olympe Lancelot (SC) 7-5
Match Notes:
South Carolina 8-3, 0-2 SEC; National ranking #14
LSU 8-3, 1-1 SEC; National ranking #63
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (4,1,3,6)
Official: Richie Weaver T-3:20 A-96
LSU vs. UL-Monroe
Mar 3, 2024
LSU Tennis Complex
#63 LSU 4, UL-Monroe 0
Singles
- Florentine Dekkers (LSU) vs. Alice Klinteby (ULM) 4-6, 6-2, 2-0, unfinished
- Aran Teixido Garcia (LSU) def. Mariam Hatem (ULM) 6-4, 6-2
- Anita Sahdiieva (LSU) def. Angela Del Campo Sua (ULM) 6-4, 6-2
- Kenna Erickson (LSU) def. Giovanna Pereira (ULM) 6-1, 6-2
- Emma Grant (LSU) vs. Tamara Bachmann (ULM) 6-7 (5-7), 2-3, unfinished
- Carina Holguin (LSU) vs. Mackenzie King (ULM) 6-4, 4-4, unfinished
Doubles
- Kenna Erickson/Anita Sahdiieva (LSU) def. Angela Del Campo Sua/Mariam Hatem (ULM) 6-1
- Florentine Dekkers/Aran Teixido Garcia (LSU) def. Giovanna Pereira/Alice Klinteby (ULM) 6-0
- Emma Grant/Maya Tahan (LSU) def. Mackenzie King/Tamara Bachmann (ULM) 6-4
Match Notes:
ULM 1-4
LSU 9-3; National ranking #63
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (2,4,3)
Official: Richie Weaver T-2:17 A-56