COLUMBIA, S.C. – Sophomore Cadence Brace posted a 7-5, 6-3 clinching result on the top spot as the No. 9 LSU women’s tennis team took down No. 17 South Carolina, 4-1, on Thursday afternoon at the Carolina Tennis Center
LSU improves to 8-2 while South Carolina falls to 7-3.
“Very proud of the effort from all the ladies today,” said head coach Taylor Fogleman. “We were definitely dealing with a few things that we had to overcome and battle through. In each of our meetings, we always have tightly contested affairs with South Carolina. Their team is well-coached, and the players compete incredibly hard. So, we knew it was going to be a great battle. In doubles, our girls came to play. There are still some things in that area we can improve on, but I was pleased with the energy they brought to the singles, which led to a few dominant performances. Even in the other matches that were still in play or in the match we unfortunately lost, I loved the girls’ fight. It is difficult to win on the road in the SEC regardless of the opponent.
When asked about the team’s mindset moving forward, coach Fogleman stated, “Now, we need to rest, recover, and re-energize for an awesome opportunity on Saturday for another match against the top side in the country and the reigning National Indoor Champions, Georgia. It should be a great environment and a great college tennis match. I know everyone will be really excited to give that a go.”
Kenna Erickson and Carolina Kuhl opened doubles play on the second court against Jane Dunyon and Kaitlyn Carnicella. Erickson and Kuhl captured the first two games, but Dunyon and Carnicella took the final six to down the LSU pair 6-2.
Looking for a response, No. 40 Kayla Cross and Ella McDonald took on No. 18 Lauren Friedman and Helena Buchwald on the top doubles court. After dropping the first game, Cross and McDonald jumped out to a 4-1 set lead. Friedman and Buchwald would attempt to rally before the LSU duo closed the set out with a 6-4 win.
In the final doubles match, Addison Lanton and Florentine Dekkers faced Sara Borkop and Jana Stojanova on court No. 3. Lanton and Dekkers held a 2-1 lead before Borkop and Stojanova held a 3-2 advantage. Afterward, Lanton and Dekkers rallied to capture the final four games to win the set 6-3, awarding LSU the doubles point.
No. 115 Lanton was the opening match in singles play against Dunyon on court No. 5. In the opening set, Lanton and Dunyon traded games early until the freshman broke away for a 6-3 win. Lanton took an early 2-0 lead to open the following set. Dunyon would steal a game, but the Illinois native would close the set out with a 6-1 win to give LSU a 2-0 advantage. Lanton now holds a perfect 8-0 record on the season.
Following her doubles setback, No. 114 Kuhl faced off against Taylor Goetz on the fourth spot. The freshman quickly jumped out to a 3-1 opening set lead and never looked back, taking the set 6-1. Kuhl held a 4-0 lead to open the following set. Goetz would attempt to rally, cutting into the deficit at 4-2 and later 5-3, before the German native earned the 6-3 set win to push LSU ahead at 3-0. With the result, Kuhl improved her season total to 7-2.
Alexia Marginean began her day on court No. 6 against Stojanova. After opening the set with a 2-2 tie, Marginean fell behind 4-2. The freshman would attempt to rally but later fell 6-3. In the second set, Marginean held a 2-1 lead before Stojanova pushed ahead for another 6-3 win to alter the match score to 3-1.
In a position to clinch the win, No. 75 Cadence Brace took on South Carolina’s top option in No. 63 Carnicella on the top spot. The first set opened with a back-and-forth affair with ties at 2-2 and 3-3 before Brace took a 5-3 lead. However, Carnicella would battle back for a 5-5 tie. Afterward, Brace captured the final two games for a 7-5 set win. Looking to rally, Carnicella took a 3-0 lead over the LSU sophomore before Brace surged ahead, capturing the final six games to post a 6-3 result to clinch the 4-1 match win. Brace now holds a 3-0 record on the season and captured her first ranked win.
Up Next
LSU travels to Athens to take on the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 1:00 p.m. CT at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.
For more information on the LSU women’s tennis program, follow the Tigers on X @lsuwten, Instagram @LSUWTen, and Facebook.com/lsuwten.
LSU vs South Carolina
02/26/26 at Columbia, SC
Carolina Indoor Tennis Center
#9 LSU 4, #17 South Carolina 1
Singles competition
1. #75 Cadence Brace (LSU) def. #63 Kaitlyn Carnicella (SC) 7-5, 6-3
2. #51 Kayla Cross (LSU) vs. Helena Buchwald (SC) 4-6, 6-4, unfinished
3. Ella McDonald (LSU) vs. Sara Borkop (SC) 6-4, 2-6, 0-1, unfinished
4. #114 Carolina Kuhl (LSU) def. Taylor Goetz (SC) 6-1, 6-3
5. #115 Addison Lanton (LSU) def. Jane Dunyon (SC) 6-3, 6-1
6. Alexia Marginean (LSU) fell to Jana Stojanova (SC) 3-6, 3-6
Doubles competition
1. #40 Kayla Cross/Ella McDonald (LSU) def. #18 Helena Buchwald/Lauren Friedman (SC) 6-4
2. Kenna Erickson/Carolina Kuhl (LSU) fell to Jane Dunyon/Kaitlyn Carnicella (SC) 2-6
3. Addison Lanton/Florentine Dekkers (LSU) def. Sara Borkop/Jana Stojanova (SC) 6-3
Match Notes:
LSU 8-2; National ranking #9
South Carolina 7-3; National ranking #17
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (5,4,6,1)