LSU Earns 4-2 Road Win at Arkansas

Fayetteville, Ark. –The LSU women’s tennis team (12-8, 4-6 SEC) battled on the road and took down the Arkansas Razorbacks (10-10, 3-7 SEC) by a score of 4-2 on Friday night at the Billingsley Tennis Center.

Taylor’s Thoughts
“The energy from top to bottom tonight was maybe the best it’s been all season and we needed it,” head coach Taylor Fogleman said. “Arkansas is a tough place to play and they’ve had a solid run of form recently, so for us to overcome adversity through injury and illness tonight was fantastic. We had players who stepped up and there was energy from those on the courts and those supporting in the stands. We couldn’t be happier with tonight’s win.”

Doubles Results
The Tigers got the start in doubles they were looking for as Aran Teixidó Garcia and Emma Grant took down Kelly Keller and Carolina Gomez at the No. 3 spot. It was a back-and-forth match between the two pairs, but Teixidó Garcia and Grant held on to win 6-4. It was the first time this season the duo had played together and they marked it with a win. For Grant, it’s her second doubles win of the dual season and her first career win in the SEC.

LSU clinched the doubles point and took a 1-0 lead as Kenna Erickson and Anita Sahdiieva earned a ranked win over the No. 48 pair of Morgan Cross and Anet Koskel at the top doubles court. It was a dominant display of tennis for the Tiger duo, who only dropped two games as they won 6-0 for their fourth win together at the No. 1 spot.

Singles Results
The Razorbacks struck first in singles as Koskel defeated Grant at the No. 6 spot. Koskel dropped one game in the first set, 6-1, and had to hold off a comeback effort from Grant in the second as she narrowly won 6-4.

Arkansas took a 2-1 lead in the match when Keller defeated Sahdiieva at the No. 2 court. The first set opened with both players taking games, but Keller pulled away and went on to win 6-3 to take the lead in the match. The Razorback only dropped two games in the second set as she won 6-2 to secure her court and give the hosts the lead on the night.

The Tigers tied it back up at 2-2 after Teixidó Garcia earned a ranked win against No. 26 Gomez at the top singles court. The two opened the first set by trading games, but Teixidó Garcia found momentum and won consecutive games to win 6-3. The second set was even closer than the first as neither player could break away from the other, but the LSU Tiger wrapped up the set with consecutive game wins to take the set and match, 6-4. For Teixidó Garcia, the win was her 11^th of the dual season and her highest ranked win this season.

LSU retook the lead at 3-2 after Erickson defeated Kacie Harvey in three sets at the No. 5 court. Erickson jumped out to an early lead in the first set and went on to win by a score of 6-2. The second set saw Harvey take the lead and held off a rally from Erickson to squeeze out a 6-4 win and extend the match to a third set. The final set saw the LSU player bounce back and only drop one game as she won 6-1. The win is Erickson’s seventh singles win this season and her third in SEC play.

Gaby Rivera clinched a 4-2 match victory as she defeated Cross in three sets at the No. 4 spot. Rivera took the first set, 6-3, before Cross replied with a 6-3 win of her own in the second to extend the match to a third set. The final set was a dominant display from the LSU Tiger, who blanked her foe 6-0 to secure the win and give the Tigers their 12^th team win of the season.

Up Next
LSU will take on the Missouri Tigers at 10 a.m. CT on Sunday, April 7 at the Country Club of Missouri.

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LSU vs. Arkansas
Apr. 5, 2024
Billingsley Tennis Center

#39 LSU 4, #41 Arkansas 2

Singles

1. Aran Teixido Garcia (LSU) def. #26 Carolina Gomez (ARKW) 6-3, 6-4
2. Kelly Keller (ARKW) def. Anita Sahdiieva (LSU) 6-3, 6-2
3. Lenka Stara (ARKW) vs. Maya Tahan (LSU) 6-7 (6-8), 5-6, unfinished
4. Gaby Rivera (LSU) def. Morgan Cross (ARKW) 6-3, 3-6, 6-0
5. Kenna Erickson (LSU) def. Kacie Harvey (ARKW) 6-2, 4-6, 6-1
6. Anet Koskel (ARKW) def. Emma Grant (LSU) 6-1, 6-4

Doubles

1. Kenna Erickson/Anita Sahdiieva (LSU) def. #48 Morgan Cross/Anet Koskel (ARKW) 6-2
2. Lenka Stara/Grace O’Donnell (ARKW) vs. Gaby Rivera/Maya Tahan (LSU) 4-4, unfinished
3. Aran Teixido Garcia/Emma Grant (LSU) def. Kelly Keller/Carolina Gomez (ARKW) 6-4

Match Notes:
LSU 12-8, 4-6 SEC; National ranking #39
Arkansas 10-10, 3-7 SEC; National ranking #41
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (6,2,1,5,4)