NORMAN, Okla. – The No. 9-seeded and No. 15 nationally ranked LSU women’s tennis team fell 4-3 to No. 3-seeded and No. 3 nationally ranked Auburn in the SEC Championship on Sunday afternoon at the Headington Family Tennis Center.
No. 15 LSU drops to 19-9 while Auburn moves to 32-3.
“First of all, it was an incredible college tennis match today,” said head coach Taylor Fogleman. “Congrats to Auburn, Jordan (Szabo), his staff, and their players. It’s difficult for us not to look at the week as a whole. We came in with a lot of question marks, and I think our kids showed a tremendous amount of togetherness and resolve throughout the entire week, including today. It certainly hurts when you’re that close to something everyone in the program has wanted so much. Still, I hope that after some time and reflection, our group recognizes that they are one of the best teams in the country and have what it takes to be the best as we move into postseason play. I’m really proud of our players and our staff. It’s a great time for LSU women’s tennis, and we’re moving in the right direction. There’s still work to do, and we’re excited for the next few weeks as we finish the season.”
Addison Lanton and Carolina Kuhl opened the SEC final on the third doubles court against Ashton Bowers and Ekaterina Khairutdinova. Lanton and Kuhl fell behind early and couldn’t recover, dropping the set 6-0.
Looking to extend doubles play, No. 29 Kenna Erickson and Ella McDonald took on No. 18 Angella Okutoyi and Merna Refaat on court No. 2. After a 1-0 lead, Erickson and McDonald fell behind 3-1. The LSU pair would cut into the lead at 3-2, but Okutoyi and Refaat closed the set out with a 6-2 win to give Auburn the doubles point.
Kuhl opened singles play against her doubles foe, No. 55 Bowers, on the fifth spot. Following a 2-1 lead, Kuhl fell behind 4-3 but captured the final three games for a 6-4 first-set win. In the second, Kuhl jumped out to a 5-0 lead. Bowers would steal two games, but Kuhl closed the set out with a 6-2 win to tie the match at 1-1.
Up next, No. 18 Cadence Brace held top spot honors against No. 23 DJ Bennett. Brace fell behind early and, despite cutting the deficit to 3-3, dropped the opening set, 6-3. In the second, she trailed 3-0 and was unable to recover, falling 6-2 to give Auburn a 2-1 lead.
Looking for a reply after her doubles setback, No. 108 Addison Lanton faced Refaat on court No. 4. After taking an early 1-0 lead, Lanton fell behind 3-1 and later trailed 5-3, but mounted a strong comeback, winning four straight games to steal the opening set, 7-5. In the second, she battled through four lead changes, breaking a 4-4 tie to secure the set, 6-4 to tie the match at 2-2.
In a position to take the lead, No. 46 Kayla Cross took on No. 28 Khairutdinova on court No. 2. After dropping the opening game, Cross surged ahead to a 3-1 lead and controlled the rest of the set to take it, 6-2. In the second, she jumped out 2-0 before Khairutdinova responded to take a 5-3 lead. Cross battled back, winning three straight games to go up 6-5, and after forcing a tiebreak, closed it out, 7-6(5), to give LSU a 3-2 lead.
McDonald faced her doubles opponent, No. 70 Okutoyi, on court No. 3. McDonald raced out to a 4-0 lead in the opening set but was unable to hold on, dropping six straight games to fall 6-4. In the second, she battled through four lead changes, rallying from 5-4 down to take a 6-5 lead, but ultimately fell in a seven-point tiebreaker, 7-6(4), to tie the match at 3-3.
With the SEC Championship on the line, Kinaa Graham battled Eva Ionescu on court No. 6 in a tightly contested, back-and-forth match. After dropping the opening set 6-4, Graham responded with a resilient second set, overcoming a late 6-5 deficit to force a tiebreak and win it 7-6(4). In the decisive third set, Graham jumped out to an early 3-1 lead before Ionescu surged ahead 5-3. Graham fought back to even the set at 5-5 and later 6-6 to force another tiebreak, but ultimately fell short, dropping the breaker 6-7(2) as Ionescu clinched the match.
Up Next
LSU returns to action in the NCAA Regional from May 1-4. The selection show will take place on Apr. 27, 4:30 p.m. CT on NCAA.com.
For more information on the LSU women’s tennis program, follow the Tigers on X @lsuwten, Instagram @LSUWTen, and Facebook.com/lsuwten.
LSU vs Auburn
04/19/26 at Norman, Okla.
Headington Family Tennis Center
#15 LSU 3, #3 Auburn 4
Singles competition
1. #18 Cadence Brace (LSU) fell to #23 DJ Bennett (AUB) 3-6, 2-6
2. #46 Kayla Cross (LSU) def. #28 E. Khairutdinova (AUB) 6-2, 7-6 (7-5)
3. Ella McDonald (LSU) fell to #70 Angella Okutoyi (AUB) 4-6, 6-7 (4-7)
4. #108 Addison Lanton (LSU) def. Merna Refaat (AUB) 7-5, 6-4
5. Carolina Kuhl (LSU) def. #55 Ashton Bowers (AUB) 6-4, 6-2
6. Kinaa Graham (LSU) fell to Eva Ionescu (AUB) 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (2-7)
Doubles competition
1. #67 Cadence Brace/Kayla Cross (LSU) vs. #2 DJ Bennett/Ava Esposito (AUB) 3-4, unfinished
2. #29 Kenna Erickson/Ella McDonald (LSU) fell to #18 Angella Okutoyi/Merna Refaat (AUB) 2-6
3. Carolina Kuhl/Addison Lanton (LSU) fell to Ashton Bowers/E. Khairutdinova (AUB) 0-6
Match Notes:
LSU 19-9; National ranking #15
Auburn 32-3; National ranking #3
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (5,1,4,2,3,6)