BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Freshman Kayla Cross of the LSU women’s tennis team has been named the SEC Freshman of the Week, the league office announced Wednesday.
The conference honor is Cross’s first in her collegiate career and adds the first accolade of the season for the Tigers. The Canadian native joined the program in January and has proven to be a top option for the Tigers.
Despite being a freshman, Cross has made an instant impact, competing on the No. 1 court in doubles and the No. 2 court in singles for both matches on the weekend. In the Tigers’ opening matches, Cross competed against a multitude of ranked opponents and played a role in LSU’s 2-0 start on the season.
Opening the season against San Diego, in her debut doubles match with partner Cadence Brace, the freshmen duo earned a 6-2 win, and the doubles point after taking down No. 38 ranked pair Claudia de las Heras and Kailey Evans.
In singles play, the freshman fell short to No. 31 Evans. They battled it out in an even first set, with Evans narrowly securing the 6-4 result. However, the freshman could not rally over Evans in the second set, falling 6-3.
Cross would strike gold in the match against UC Santa Barbara, earning her first singles victory over Anna Weissheim. Cross would gain a 2-1 advantage in the opening set, but her opponent fought back to take a commanding 5-3 lead. Undeterred, Cross rallied to win four straight games, earning a 7-5 victory in the first set. In the winning set, Cross remained leveled at 2-2 with her opponent and then won four straight games for a 6-2 victory.
Up Next
Cross and the Tigers are back on the courts this weekend, traveling to Gainesville, Fla. for the ITA National Indoor qualifier, taking on Miami (Fla.) on Saturday, Jan. 25 at 1:00 p.m. CT at Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex.
For more information on the LSU women’s tennis program, follow the Tigers on X @lsuwten, Instagram @LSUWTen, and Facebook.com/lsuwten.