ATHENS, Ga. – The No. 9 LSU women’s tennis team was unable to overcome top-ranked Georgia, falling 4-0 on Saturday afternoon at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.
LSU drops to 8-3 while Georgia moves to 8-1.
“Despite the result, it was a great college tennis match with a great atmosphere,” said head coach Taylor Fogleman. “Georgia always seems to have a great crowd, and I believe that definitely helped them. In the doubles, we were in firm control at all three positions and certainly had chances to take the doubles point, but they ended up grabbing it. I really did love our players’ responses to that setback, though. We got to some really strong starts in singles, holding leads in the first sets. Even in matches where we didn’t take the opening sets, for the most part, we were able to flip them and take the second sets. But, in the end, they proved to be a little bit tougher.”
When asked about the experience and the next steps for the team, coach Fogleman added, “This was a wonderful experience for our group, and we certainly hope to be back here in May and to have the opportunity to take on this challenge again. But it was a great tennis match. The scoreline doesn’t indicate how competitive it was at all, and I really liked the fight our group showed. Now, we face another SEC test next week against two more top teams in Florida and Auburn. But being back at home is where we want to be, and I am confident the girls will respond well.”
No. 40 Kayla Cross and Ella McDonald began doubles play against No. 8 Deniz Dilek and Aysegul Mert on the top spot. The LSU pair took a quick 2-0 and later 4-1 lead to open the set. Dilek and Mert would take another game, but Cross and McDonald closed the set out to earn a 6-2 win.
Florentine Dekkers and Addison Lanton were next against Emma Dong and Anastasiia Gureva on the No. 3 court. After trailing 2-1, Dekkers and Lanton jumped ahead at 3-2 in the lone set. However, Dong and Gureva stole the final four games to take the set 6-3.
In the final doubles match, Cadence Brace and Carolina Kuhl took on No. 77 Anastasiia Lopata and Patricija Paukstyte in the second spot. In a back-and-forth affair that featured three lead changes and ties, Brace and Kuhl held a 5-3 lead before Lopata and Paukstyte rallied to down the LSU duo 7-5 to award Georgia the doubles point.
Alexia Marginean opened singles play on the sixth court against Emma Dong. After dropping the opening game, Marginean surged ahead to claim a 3-1 advantage. Dong responded by winning six of the next eight games to secure the opening set, 7-5. In the second, Marginean battled to a 1-1 tie early, but Dong pulled away down the stretch, taking the set 6-1 to give Georgia a 2-0 match lead.
On court No. 5, No. 115 Lanton challenged No. 52 Sofia Rojas. Lanton jumped ahead to a 4-0 lead before Rojas trimmed the margin to 4-3. After Lanton moved back in front at 5-3, Rojas rallied to even the set and force a tiebreak, where Lanton fell short, 7-6(3). In the second set, Lanton trailed 3-0 before leveling at 3-3. However, Rojas captured three of the final four games to close out the 6-4 set and extend Georgia’s lead to 3-0.
Needing a result to extend the match, No. 114 Kuhl faced No. 30 Gureva. The opening set featured four consecutive ties before Gureva pulled away late for a 6-4 win. Kuhl responded well in the second, turning an early deficit into a 3-1 lead and eventually claimed the set 6-3 to force a third set. In the decider, Kuhl fought back from 2-0 and later evened the score at 4-4, but Gureva captured the final two games to secure the 6-4 set and the match win for Georgia.
Up Next
LSU returns home to host Florida on Thursday, Mar. 5, at 5:00 p.m. CT at the LSU 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 Georgia
02/28/26 at Athens, Ga.
Dan Magill Tennis Complex
#9 LSU 0, #1 Georgia 4
Singles competition
1. #75 Cadence Brace (LSU) vs. #7 Aysegul Mert (UGA) 6-2, 3-6, 2-4, unfinished
2. #51 Kayla Cross (LSU) vs. #48 Anastasiia Lopata (UGA) 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 1-1, unfinished
3. Ella McDonald (LSU) vs. #41 Deniz Dilek (UGA) 6-4, 6-7 (2-7), 4-5, unfinished
4. #114 Carolina Kuhl (LSU) fell to #30 Anastasiia Gureva (UGA) 4-6, 6-3, 4-6
5. #115 Addison Lanton (LSU) fell to #52 Sofia Rojas (UGA) 6-7 (3-7), 4-6
6. Alexia Marginean (LSU) fell to Emma Dong (UGA) 5-7, 1-6
Doubles competition
1. #40 Kayla Cross/Ella McDonald (LSU) def. #8 Deniz Dilek/Aysegul Mert (UGA) 6-2
2. Cadence Brace/Carolina Kuhl (LSU) fell to #77 Anastasiia Lopata/Patricija Paukstyte (UGA) 5-7
3. Addison Lanton/Florentine Dekkers (LSU) fell to Emma Dong/Anastasiia Gureva (UGA) 3-6
Match Notes:
LSU 8-3; National ranking #9
Georgia Women’s Tennis 7-1; National ranking #1
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (6,5,4)