TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Freshman Tilwith Di Girolami secured a come-from-behind victory on Court No. 3 to clinch the match as No. 8 LSU thwarted No. 18 Alabama’s comeback attempt, securing a 4-2 win on Friday at the Alabama Tennis Stadium.
LSU moves to 13-1 and 4-0 in league play. Alabama falls to 8-4 and 2-2 in the conference.
The Tigers extended their winning streak to eight matches and improved to 5-1 against ranked opponents, including three victories over top-10 teams.
“It was a tough contest, but the team handled the pressure well to secure another SEC win,” said Head Coach Taylor Fogleman. “Alabama, as their ranking indicates, is an elite team. Head Coach Jonatan Berhane has done a great job since he’s been an assistant here and now taking the reins of the program. So, we knew it would be a tough match, especially on the road. I don’t think we necessarily came out with the best energy in the doubles. But a credit to our team for securing the point. In singles, we also had one too many spots where we didn’t bring the energy needed to give ourselves the best chance, but we had some great performances that secured us the result.”
When looking forward, Coach Fogleman added, “Now, we move to another away match in the conference at Mississippi State on Sunday. Certainly, my hope is that we can do a few things better that will give us the best chance to be successful there but certainly, long term, as we continue to go through the season.”
No. 11 Cadence Brace and Kayla Cross opened the match on the top court, facing Sara Nayar and Klara Milicevic. The freshmen duo took an early 2-0 lead before their opponents took a game. Brace and Cross stayed in front and extended their advantage to 3-1, but the Alabama duo cut into the lead to make it 3-2. Ultimately, Brace and Cross pulled away to capture the last three games to earn a 6-2 victory, extending the pair’s season record to 6-0.
Following the opening match, No. 25 Di Girolami and Anita Sahdiieva faced off against Maria Andrienko and Maria Martinez Vaquero on court No. 2. After trading the first two matches to reach a 1-1 stalemate, Di Girolami and Sahdiieva jumped to a 3-1 set lead. However, Andrienko and Vaquero downed the LSU pair after taking the final five matches to win the set 6-3, forcing a winner-takes-all situation on the third court.
With immense pressure, Kenna Erickson and Gaby Rivera battled Petra Sedlackova and Priya Nelson. After trading matches with two lead changes and three ties, the set was competitive until 3-3. Needing a result, Erickson and Rivera took the next two games and near the finish line with a 5-3 set lead. However, Sedlackova and Nelson fought back, taking the next game at 5-4 and putting the LSU pair in a 15-40 deficit in the following game, threatening to tie the set at 5-5. Erickson and Rivera held firm, winning the final three points to clinch the set 6-4 and secure the doubles point for LSU. The Tigers have secured eight consecutive doubles points and 13 overall this season.
Moving to singles play, Erickson challenges Margaux Maquet on the No. 6 spot. The sophomore jumped to a 4-0 set lead before Maquet took a game to make it 4-1. Erickson stayed in front, taking the next two games to post a 6-1 first-set result. Erickson fell behind 0-2 in the following set before taking the next four games to hold a 4-2 advantage. Despite a late push from Maquet, the Texas native pushed ahead to secure a 6-3 set win, giving LSU a 2-0 match lead. Erickson improved her win total to 7-1 and 5-0 on the sixth court.
Looking to add to her stellar freshman campaign, No. 63 Kayla Cross fought Maria Andrienko on the No. 2 court. Cross breezed through the first set with a 6-0 sweep. In the second, the Canadian held a 3-0 lead before Andrienko took a game to make it 3-1. Afterward, Cross won the final three out of four games to secure a 6-2 result and the straight-set win, putting LSU ahead 3-0. The freshman now holds a five-match winning streak.
Needing one more win to clinch the match, No. 54 Brace faced No. 79 Petra Sedlackova in the top singles spot. Brace could not rally in the first set, falling 6-0. After taking a 2-0 lead in the following set, Sedlackova jumped to a 4-2 lead. The freshman tied the contest at 4-4, but Alabama’s ace held strong to defeat Brace 6-4, earning a point for the Crimson Tide.
Sahdiieva was next up on the fourth court against doubles opponent Vaquero. With the set tied at 1-1, Vaquero jumped ahead for a 4-1 lead. Despite a late push from Sahdiieva, Vaquero took the final two of four matches to win the set at 6-3. The second set started similarly with a 1-1 tie. However, Sahdiieva pushed ahead for a 3-1 lead. Despite the advantage, Vaquero won the final five games to claim another 6-3 set victory, cutting LSU’s match lead to 3-2.
With Alabama building momentum, No. 65 Di Girolami took on Milicevic on court No. 3. The Belgian took a quick 2-0 advantage and would trade games until Di Girolami held the lead at 3-2. Milicevic would then take the final four games to win the first set 6-3. Di Girolami was dominant after trailing 0-1 in the following set, taking six straight games to post a 6-1 set victory. Di Girolami fell behind in the deciding set before leveling at 1-1 and 2-2. The freshman then surged ahead to a 5-2 lead, despite Milicevic closing the gap to 5-3, Di Girolami clinched the match with a 6-3 set win. As a result, she holds a team-leading 11-2 record in the season, with a six-match winning streak dating back to Feb. 9 against Oklahoma State.
For more information on the LSU women’s tennis program, follow the Tigers on X @lsuwten, Instagram @LSUWTen, and Facebook.com/lsuwten.
LSU vs. Alabama
March 7, 2025
Alabama Tennis Stadium
No. 8 LSU 4, No. 18 Alabama 2
Singles
1. #54 Cadence Brace (LSU) fell to #79 Petra Sedlackova (UA) 0-6, 4-6
2. #63 Kayla Cross (LSU) def. Maria Andrienko (UA) 6-0, 6-2
3. #65 Tilwith Di Girolami (LSU) def. Klara Milicevic (UA) 3-6, 6-1, 6-3
4. Anita Sahdiieva (LSU) fell to Maria Martinez-Vaque (UA) 3-6, 3-6
5. Kinaa Graham (LSU) vs. Sara Nayar (UA) 2-6, 6-4, 0-2 DNF
6. Kenna Erickson (LSU) def. Priya Nelson (UA) 6-1, 6-3
Doubles
1. #11 Cadence Brace/Kayla Cross (LSU) def. Sara Nayar/Klara Milicevic (UA) 6-2
2. #25 Tilwith Di Girolami/Anita Sahdiieva (LSU) fell to Maria Martinez-Vaque/Maria Andrienko (UA) 3-6
3. Kenna Erickson/Gaby Rivera (LSU) def. Petra Sedlackova/Priya Nelson (UA) 6-4
Match Notes:
LSU 13-1; National ranking #8
Alabama Women’s Tennis 8-4; National ranking #18
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (6,2,1,4,3)