URBANA, Ill. – No. 16 LSU Women’s Tennis was unable to secure a result over No. 7 Michigan, 4-0, on Friday at Atkins Tennis Center in Urbana, Ill.
LSU falls to 5-1, while Michigan moves to 5-0.
Taylor’s Thoughts
“I credit Michigan for their performance today,” said Head Coach Taylor Fogleman. “They tested our girls and held strong throughout the match. Overall, I believe the girls could have fought back and changed the momentum, but we must perform better to secure a result over a top team like Michigan. Our ladies did a great job fighting, but it’s a tough position to respond from when you fall behind.”
When speaking about the rest of the tournament, Coach Fogleman added, “This opportunity is needed for the program, and we are going to learn a lot about ourselves. I am really excited to get another chance to play another top team tomorrow, and I am confident the girls will respond well.”
Doubles Display
Anita Sahdiieva and Tilwith Di Girolami opened doubles play on the No. 2 court over No. 45 Julia Fliegner and Reese Miller. The LSU pair would remain level in the set at 1-1 until Fliegner and Miller took five consecutive games to take the set 6-1.
Kenna Erickson and Gaby Rivera battled with Lily Jones and Ava Bruno on the No. 3 spot. Erickson and Rivera took a 3-0 lead before Jones and Bruno took three straight games to even the set at 3-3. After a back-and-forth affair until a 5-5 set score, the Wolverine pair won the final two games to secure the 7-5 set result, awarding Michigan the doubles point.
Singles Slate
Kinaa Graham began singles play against No. 66 Miller on the No. 5 spot. In the first set, Graham tested Miller by trading games early, tying the set at 2-2. However, Miller took four consecutive games to win the first set 6-2. The Michigan sophomore would win 6-1 in the following set, giving the Wolverines a 2-0 match lead.
Di Girolami faced off against No. 36 Jones on Court No. 3. The freshman exchanged games with Jones until the set score reached 2-2, after which Jones won the set 6-2. Despite trailing 1-3 in the second set, Di Girolami battled back to level the set at 3-3. The freshman would trade games with Jones; however, she would drop the set 6-4, giving Michigan a 3-0 lead.
Rivera faced Jessica Bernales in the final singles bout on the No. 6 court. The senior started trailing 1-4 in the first set but narrowed the gap to 3-4. However, Bernales won the last three games to take the set 6-3. Bernales only dropped two games in the second set to take the set 2-6 and clinch the 4-0 win for Michigan.
Up Next
LSU will face UCLA in the consolation bracket tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. CT at Atkins Tennis Center in Urbana, Ill.
For more information on the LSU women’s tennis program, follow the Tigers on X, @lsuwten, Instagram @LSUWTen, and Facebook.com/lsuwten.
LSU vs. Michigan
Feb. 7, 2025
Atkins Tennis Center
No. 16 LSU 0, No. 7 Michigan 4
Singles
1. Cadence Brace (LSU) vs. No. 4 Julia Fliegner (UM) 4-6, 6-0, 0-0 DNF
2. Kayla Cross (LSU) vs. to No. 30 Piper Charney (UM) 6-1, 5-5 DNF
3. Tilwith Di Girolami (LSU) fell to No. 36 Lily Jones (UM) 2-6, 4-6
4. No. 115 Anita Sahdiieva (LSU) vs. Emily Sartz-Lunde (UM) 6-2, 3-3, DNF
5. Kinaa Graham (LSU) fell to No. 66 Reese Miller (UM) 2-6, 1-6
6. Gaby Rivera (LSU) fell to Jessica Bernales (UM) 3-6, 2-6
Doubles
1. No. 71 Cadence Brace/Kayla Cross (LSU) vs. No. 27 Piper Charney/Jessica Bernales (UM) 5-6, DNF
2. Anita Sahdiieva/Tilwith Di Girolami (LSU) fell to No. 45 Julia Fliegner/Reese Miller (UM) 1-6
3. Kenna Erickson/Gaby Rivera (LSU) fell to Lily Jones/Ava Bruno (UM) 5-7
Match Notes:
LSU 5-1; National ranking #16
Michigan 5-0; National ranking #7
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (5,3,6)
ITA Team Indoor Championships Day 1
[2] Michigan vs. [7] LSU
T-2:04