No. 10 LSU Shuts Out No. 7 Tennessee and Southern With 4-0 Sweeps

BATON ROUGE, La. – No. 10 LSU delivered a commanding performance on Sunday, sweeping No. 7 Tennessee and Southern with 4-0 victories at the LSU Tennis Complex in Baton Rouge.

LSU improved to 12-1 overall and 3-0 in SEC play. Tennessee moves to 8-2 on the season and 2-1 in conference action, while Southern falls to 0-4.

The Tigers start 3-0 in conference play for the first time since 2020 and improve to 4-1 against nationally ranked opponents.

“It was a very good day for our team,” said Head Coach Taylor Fogleman. “We have had many moving parts this week, and it was fantastic to see the girls rise up to the occasion today against a talented and well-coached Tennessee team. We got a little nervous towards the end of the doubles, but the girls performed well under pressure, and that point in the match proved pivotal. The ladies played great tennis in singles and took it to their opponents. And even in the other unfinished matches, we were so proud of the girls and their hard work.

When asked about the team’s second match, Coach Fogleman added, “We turned it around quite quickly to play a good Southern squad. I was very happy that Emma Grant, Carina Holguin, and Indi Patel were able to compete. They’ve worked incredibly hard, just like everybody else, and for them to get their first spring dual competition was awesome.

“Overall, just a positive day. I liked where we were going. There’s still always an incredible amount of work to do. We need to rest and recover, and then we’ll get another very stiff test on the road against Alabama on Friday.”

Match One

No. 17 Cadence Brace and Kayla Cross teamed up on the top spot to face off against Tennessee’s top duo, No. 56 Elza Tomase and Elim Yan. The freshman pair initially trailed 0-2 but tied the match at 2-2. Gaining momentum, Brace and Cross took the final four games to take the set at 6-2, putting LSU in the driver’s seat for the doubles point.

Needing a result, Kenna Erickson and Gaby Rivera faced Maeve Thornton and Vanesa Suarez on Court No. 3. The LSU duo fell behind early, 0-1, but quickly leveled the score at 1-1. However, Thornton and Suarez gained momentum, pulling ahead 4-1. Erickson and Rivera fought back to close the gap to 4-2, but their opponents took the final two games to win the set 6-2.

In a winner-takes-all match on Court No. 2, No. 22 Anita Sahdiieva and Tilwith Di Girolami faced Catherine Aulia and Leyla Britez-Risso in a thrilling battle. The LSU duo jumped to an early 2-0 lead before their opponents closed the gap to 2-1. Regaining momentum, they extended their lead to 4-1, but Aulia and Britez-Risso fought back to 4-3. Sahdiieva and Di Girolami held a 5-3 advantage, but the match soon tied at 5-5. They briefly fell behind 5-6 before forcing a 6-6 seven-point tiebreaker. In the deciding tiebreak, Sahdiieva and Di Girolami trailed 1-5 but mounted a comeback to tie it at 5-5. The battle remained tight, with both sides exchanging leads until 10-10. In a clutch finish, the LSU pair won the final two points, sealing a 12-10 victory and the doubles point.

After an eventful doubles display for the Tigers, No. 72 Di Girolami carried her momentum into singles play against her doubles opponent, No. 69 Britez-Risso, on the No. 3 spot. Di Girolami took an early 1-0 lead, but Britez-Risso quickly pulled ahead at 2-1. Di Girolami would win the final five games to close out the first set 6-2. The Belgian native maintained her dominance in the second set, jumping to a 2-0 lead before Britez-Risso cut the deficit to 2-1. Regaining momentum, the freshman extended her advantage to 4-1, though Britez-Risso responded to make it 4-2. However, Di Girolami stayed composed, pushing ahead and securing the match with another 6-2 set win.

Brace stepped onto the top court to face No. 5 Tomase in a highly anticipated singles match on the top court. Facing one of the nation’s best, Brace started strong with a 2-0 lead before Tomase closed the gap to 2-1. Brace stayed in control, pushing ahead 4-2 despite Tomase’s resistance at 4-3, before sealing the first set 6-3. In the second set, Brace dominated early, surging to a 3-0 lead. Tomase got on the board at 3-1, but Brace was undeterred, winning three straight games to close out a 6-1 victory, giving LSU a 3-0 match advantage.

Erickson battled Conley Raidt on Court No. 6 to conclude the dual match. After trailing 1-3, Erickson took the next five games to close out the first set 6-3. The following set began with the score knotted at 1-1. The sophomore responded by pushing ahead 3-1, though Raidt stayed close at 3-2. Maintaining her lead, Erickson moved up to 4-2 before Raidt again narrowed the gap to 4-3. However, Erickson held firm and secured a 6-4 victory, clinching the Tigers’ 4-0 match win.

Match Two

Erickson and Kinaa Graham opened the match against Southern on Court No. 2, facing Shahd Habib and Baluck Deang. After falling behind 0-1, the LSU team took six straight games to close out a commanding 6-1 victory.

No. 22 Sahdiieva and Di Girolami took charge early on the top spot against Jessica Hess and Tshegofatso Tsiang, jumping to a 4-0 lead. The Jaguar duo got on the board at 4-1, but Sahdiieva and Di Girolami remained in control, extending their advantage to 5-1. After Hess and Tsiang closed the gap to 5-2, Sahdiieva and Di Girolami sealed the win with a 6-2 victory, securing the doubles point.

No. 72 Di Girolami opened singles play on the top spot against Paris Washington. The freshman delivered a dominant performance, winning in straight sets with back-to-back 6-0 victories to give LSU a 2-0 lead.

Sahdiieva controlled the first set against Hess on Court 2, only dropping one game en route to a 6-1 first-set victory. The second set was more competitive, as Sahdiieva trailed 0-1, then battled to a 3-3 tie after falling behind 2-3. The Ukranian native gained momentum late, securing a 6-4 win to complete the straight-sets victory.

Erickson once again found herself in a familiar position, just as she had earlier against Tennessee—holding the opportunity to clinch the match, this time against Tsiang on Court 3. The first set saw Erickson trailing at 1-2 and 3-4 before taking the final three games to secure a 6-4 set win. Carrying that momentum into the second set, Erickson posted a flawless 6-0 victory, clinching the 4-0 dual match victory.

LSU hits the road next weekend for a pair of SEC matchups. The Tigers first take on Alabama on Friday, Mar. 7, at 5:00 p.m. CT at the Alabama Tennis Stadium in Tuscaloosa. They then face Mississippi State on Sunday, Mar. 9, at 12:00 p.m. CT at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre in Starkville.

For more information on the LSU women’s tennis program, follow the Tigers on X @lsuwten, Instagram @LSUWTen, and Facebook.com/lsuwten.

LSU vs. Tennessee
March 2, 2025
LSU Tennis Complex
No. 10 LSU 4, No. 7 Tennessee 0

Singles
1. Cadence Brace (LSU) def. #5 Elza Tomase (TENN) 6-3, 6-1
2. #51 Kayla Cross (LSU) vs. #36 Catherine Aulia (TENN) 6-3, 1-6, 1-0, DNF
3. #72 Tilwith Di Girolami (LSU) def. #69 Leyla Britez Risso (TENN) 6-2, 6-2
4. Anita Sahdiieva (LSU) vs. Francesca Mattioli (TENN) 4-6, 2-4, DNF
5. Kinaa Graham (LSU) vs. #110 Vanesa Suarez (TENN) 4-6, 4-4, DNF
6. Kenna Erickson (LSU) def. Conley Raidt (TENN) 6-3, 6-4

Doubles
1. #17 Cadence Brace/Kayla Cross (LSU) def. #56 Elza Tomase/Elim Yan (TENN) 6-2
2. #22 Anita Sahdiieva/Tilwith Di Girolami (LSU) def. Catherine Aulia/Leyla Britez Risso (TENN) 7-6 (12-10)
3. Kenna Erickson/Gaby Rivera (LSU) fell to Maeve Thornton/Vanesa Suarez (TENN) 2-6

Match Notes:
LSU 11-1; National ranking #10
Tennessee 8-2; National ranking #7
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (3,1,6)

LSU vs. Southern
March 2, 2025
LSU Tennis Complex
No. 10 LSU 4, Southern 0

Singles
1. Tilwith Di Girolami (LSU) def. Paris Washington (SU) 6-0, 6-0
2. Anita Sahdiieva (LSU) def. Jessica Hess (SU) 6-1, 6-1
3. Kenna Erickson (LSU) def. Tshegofatso Tsiang (SU) 6-4, 6-0
4. Indi Patel (LSU) vs. Kai Wince (SU) 4-6, 3-0, DNF
5. Emma Grant (LSU) vs. Shahd Habib (SU) 3-6, 2-4, DNF
6. Carina Holguin (LSU) vs. Baluck Deang (SU) 6-6 (4-1), DNF

Doubles
1. #22 Anita Sahdiieva/Tilwith Di Girolami (LSU) def. Jessica Hess/Tshegofatso Tsiang (SU) 6-2
2. Kenna Erickson/Kinaa Graham (LSU) def. Shahd Habib/Baluck Deang (SU) 6-1
3. Emma Grant/Indi Patel (LSU) vs. Paris Washington/Kai Wince (SU) 4-4, DNF

Match Notes:
LSU 12-1; National ranking #10
Southern 0-4
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (1,2,3)