BATON ROUGE, La. – The No. 8 LSU women’s tennis team aims to extend its 3-0 conference record as it travels to face No. 18 Alabama on March 7 at 5:00 p.m. CT, followed by a matchup against Mississippi State on March 9 at 12:00 p.m. CT.
The No. 8 Tigers secured three consecutive victories in last week’s homestand. LSU began with a 4-2 win against Kentucky, with freshmen Tilwith Di Girolami and senior Gaby Rivera delivering standout performances in singles and doubles, with Rivera clinching the match victory on Court No. 6 in a 6-1, 7-6(2) result. LSU followed with 4-0 sweeps against No. 7 Tennessee and Southern. Of particular note was freshman Cadence Brace’s tone-setting match over Tennessee’s No. 5-ranked Elza Tomase, 6-3, 6-1. These victories took LSU’s overall and SEC records to 12-1 and 3-0, the club’s best SEC start since 2020.
The Bayou Bengals hold a 40-13 overall mark in singles, and 25-3 in doubles, highlighted by seven ranked singles and doubles victories. The Tigers hold a 7-6 singles record and a 7-4 doubles mark in ranked matchups. LSU has secured the doubles point in 12 of its 13 matches this season. The Tigers hold a seven-match winning streak dating back to the ITA National Indoor Championship from Feb. 7-9.
Freshman Cadence Brace earned her second SEC Freshman of the Week honor after playing a pivotal role in LSU’s victories over Kentucky and Tennessee. She previously received the award on Feb. 12 following three wins over ranked opponents at the ITA National Indoor Championship. Brace holds a 4-2 singles record this season, including two victories over ranked foes, and is currently riding a four-match winning streak. Brace entered the ITA rankings for the first time this season at No. 54, a team-leading mark.
Teaming up with freshman Kaya Cross in doubles, the freshmen have owned the top doubles spot, posting a 5-0 record, with each victory against a ranked pair. Their most recent win was a 6-2 victory against Kentucky’s No. 56 Elza Tomase and Elim Yan. According to the ITA, the pair’s performances earned the Tigers top pair an updated ranking of No. 11.
Cross holds the second-highest ITA singles ranking on the team at No. 63 and earned the season’s first SEC Freshman of the Week honors. In singles play, The Canadian standout boasts a 3-1 mark on the No. 2 spot while also earning a victory on the top spot against Ole Miss on Feb. 23. Cross currently holds a four-match winning streak in singles play.
Freshman Di Girolami, improving her ITA ranking to No. 65, leads the team with a 10-2 singles record, including a 6-2 mark on Court 3. She also picked up key wins at the No. 1 spot against UL-Lafayette on Jan. 31 and court No. 2 against Ole Miss. The Belgian standout has secured two ranked wins this season, most recently defeating Tennessee’s Leyla Britez Risso, 6-2, 6-2.
Di Girolami has been a force with senior Anita Sahdiieva on the No. 2 doubles courts, where the duo holds a No. 25 ranking. The pair boasts a team-best 10-1 record, highlighted by a resounding 7-6 (12-10) tiebreaker victory over Tennessee’s Catherine Aulia and Britez Risso. Sahdiieva has performed well in singles, owning the second-best record on the team at 7-2. Her latest win came on the No. 2 court against Southern, defeating Jessica Hess, 6-1, 6-1.
Rounding out doubles play, Rivera and sophomore Kenna Erickson have a 4-2 record at the third doubles spot, along with two additional wins on the No. 2 court against Tulane on Feb. 13 and over Southern. The 6-2 record marks the team’s second-best doubles margin. Rivera holds a 5-3 record in singles play. Meanwhile, with her latest win, Erickson moves to 6-1 on the season, clinching dual match wins over Ole Miss, 6-2, 6-4 against Andrea Nova, Tennessee, 6-3, 6-4 over Conley Raidt, and Soutnern, downing Tshegofatso Tsiang, 6-4, 6-0.
Sophomore Kinaa Graham holds a 2-1 ranked singles record, highlighted by taking down Marcela Lopez of Oklahoma State, 6-3, 6-0. Furthermore, the sophomore posted the clinching singles point over Ahmani Guichard, 2-6, 7-5, 7-5, in LSU’s 4-2 victory over UCLA. Graham holds a 3-2 overall record on the season.
LSU leads the all-time series against Alabama with a 35-17 record, and Mississippi State at 35-13.
No. 18 Alabama is coached by Jonatan Berhane in his second season with the Crimson Tide. Alabama holds an 8-3 record on the season with a 2-1 mark in league play. Senior No. 79 Petra Sedlakova leads the club in singles play.
Mississippi State is 9-3 on the season with a 0-3 record in conference play. The Bulldogs are led by Chris Hooshayr, who is in his second season with the program. Sophomore Jayna Clemens leads the team with a 9-1 singles record on the fifth and sixth court. Freshman Gianna Oboniye and sophomore Athina Pitta occupy the top spot in doubles with a 7-1 record.
For more information on the LSU women’s tennis program, follow the Tigers on X @lsuwten, Instagram @LSUWTen, and Facebook.com/lsuwten.