BATON ROUGE, La. – The No. 10 LSU women’s tennis team started strong but was unable to rally late, dropping its SEC contest to No. 7 Texas, 4-2, on Friday evening at the LSU Tennis Complex.
LSU drops to 12-6 and 5-5 in the SEC. Meanwhile, Texas moves to 13-4 and 8-2 in the conference.
“This was a tough match for us today,” said head coach Taylor Fogleman. “Texas is a very strong and well-coached team. I thought we had some momentum after doubles, but they quickly turned the tide by taking five first-sets, and we just didn’t have the energy we needed to start singles. However, I did like the response from nearly every player after those early setbacks. Overall, it was a great fight, but it’s a tough lesson we have to learn. The girls are hungry to improve, and I know they will. I also know we can coach better. We’ll come together as a group, continue to support each other, and I am confident we’ll turn in a better performance on Sunday against Texas A&M and as we move forward through the season.”
Addison Lanton and Alexia Marginean started the dual match on the third court against Carmen Herea and Mathilde Ngijol-Care. The LSU duo set the tone early, racing out to a 3-0 lead before extending their advantage to 4-1. The pair maintained control and later closed out a 6-1 victory.
Cadence Brace and Kayla Cross were next on the top spot against No. 53 Anastasia Abbagnato and Salma Drugdova. Brace and Cross trailed early at 3-0 and were unable to recover, later dropping the set 6-2.
In the final match for the doubles point, No. 67 Kenna Erickson and Ella McDonald battled a ranked pairing in No. 71 Elizabeth Ionescu and Christasha McNeil on court No. 2. After trailing 2-1, the LSU pairing surged ahead for a 4-2 advantage. Ionescu and McNeil would attempt to rally, but Erickson and McDonald held their ground and earned a 6-4 set win to award LSU the doubles point.
To open singles play, No. 45 Cross took on No. 12 Abbagnato on the second court. Cross was unable to get anything going in the first set, falling 6-0. Looking to rally, the sophomore held consecutive ties in the second set before Abbagnato broke away for a 6-3 win to tie the dual match at 1-1.
In her first match of the day, Carolina Kuhl faced off against Ionescu on the fifth spot. Kuhl fell behind early at 2-1 and went on to drop the opening set 6-1. The freshman held a 1-0 and 2-1 lead in the second set but later suffered a 6-3 setback to give Texas a 2-1 lead.
Following her doubles triumph, Lanton took on McNeil on court No. 4. Lanton opened the first set well, taking a quick 3-0 and 4-1 lead. Despite dropping the first game, Lanton won the final two to take the first set 6-2. McNeil responded well in the second set by holding a 3-0 advantage before Lanton earned the final six of seven games to win the set 6-4 to tie the match at 2-2.
Looking to respond after her doubles setback, No. 58 Brace faced a daunting task against the top-ranked player in the country, Herea, on the top singles court. Brace captured the first game but fell behind and couldn’t recover, losing 6-1. In the second, she battled through multiple momentum swings, taking a 3-2 lead and later tying the set at 4-4 before Herea secured the final two games for a 6-4 result to push Texas ahead at 3-2.
Needing a result, No. 104 Kinaa Graham battled Ngijol-Care on court No. 6. Graham found herself in a 3-0 deficit early and couldn’t recover, falling 6-2. In the second, the junior responded with a strong start, jumping out to a 3-1 lead. Afterward, the set featured four consecutive ties until Graham narrowly dropped the set 7-6(6) to clinch the win for Texas.
Up Next
The Tigers stay home to take on No. 3 Texas A&M on Sunday, Mar. 29, at noon 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 Texas
03/27/26 at Baton Rouge, La.
LSU Tennis Complex
#10 LSU 2, #7 Texas 4
Singles competition
1. #58 Cadence Brace (LSU) fell to #1 Carmen Herea (TEX) 1-6, 4-6
2. #45 Kayla Cross (LSU) fell to #12 Anastasia Abbagnato (TEX) 0-6, 3-6
3. #88 Ella McDonald (LSU) vs. #71 Eszter Meri (TEX) 3-6, 6-4, 2-0, unfinished
4. Addison Lanton (LSU) def. Christasha McNeil (TEX) 6-2, 6-4
5. Carolina Kuhl (LSU) fell to Elizabeth Ionescu (TEX) 1-6, 3-6
6. #104 Kinaa Graham (LSU) fell to M Ngijol-Carre (TEX) 2-6, 6-7 (6-8)
Doubles competition
1. Cadence Brace/Kayla Cross (LSU) fell to #53 Anastasia Abbagnato/Salma Drugdova (TEX) 2-6
2. #67 Kenna Erickson/Ella McDonald (LSU) def. #71 Elizabeth Ionescu/Christasha McNeil (TEX) 6-4
3. Addison Lanton/Alexia Marginean (LSU) def. Carmen Herea/M Ngijol-Carre (TEX) 6-1
Match Notes:
LSU 12-6 (5-5 SEC); National ranking #10
Texas 13-4 (8-2 SEC); National ranking #7
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (2,5,4,1,6)