CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Sophomore Cadence Brace earned a 6-1, 6-4 clinching result on the top court as the No. 10-seeded LSU women’s tennis team punched its ticket to the Elite Eight with a 4-1 win over No. 7-seeded Virginia.
LSU improves to 22-9 on the season, while Virginia concludes its campaign with a 23-6 record.
With the result, the Tigers are heading back to the Elite Eight for the second consecutive season and just the second time in program history.
“Incredibly proud of our group,” said head coach Taylor Fogleman. “It was a phenomenal day for our program, past and present. Virginia is an incredible team. They won the ACC regular-season title and reached the finals of their conference tournament. So, to come up here and get a result as we did is incredibly gratifying. Our girls have stuck together through a lot this semester, and I’d like to think we’re starting to play our best tennis at the right time. We definitely gained some momentum by sneaking out the doubles point, and I thought we carried that into singles across the board. Our girls battled incredibly hard, and we were fortunate to get points from Addison (Lanton), Ella (McDonald), and Cadence (Brace). We’ll definitely enjoy this victory tonight. We certainly aren’t taking for granted being back in the Elite Eight and making the final site in Athens. It’s an unbelievable achievement, but I know this group is hungry for more. We’ll enjoy it tonight, rest up over the next couple of days, and everyone around the program is excited to play another match in Athens next weekend.”
No. 40 Brace and Kayla Cross opened the NCAA Super Regional on the top doubles spot against No. 10 Melodie Collard and Vivian Yang. Brace and Cross found themselves trailing early at 3-1. The Canadian duo would later claw back to trail 4-3, but ultimately dropped the set 6-3.
Looking to extend doubles play, Carolina Kuhl and Addison Lanton took on Isabelle Lacy and Katie Rolls on court No. 3. In a back-and-forth set that featured five consecutive ties and four lead changes, Kuhl and Lanton battled back from a 5-4 deficit to secure the final three games for a 7-5 set victory.
With one court left, all eyes were on No. 17 Kenna Erickson and Ella McDonald as they took on No. 25 Martina Salas and Annabelle Xu on the second court. In another tightly contested lone set that featured five ties, Erickson and McDonald broke a 5-5 deadlock by winning the final two games to secure a 7-5 victory and clinch the doubles point for LSU. The duo now holds 12 wins on the season, behind six ranked wins.
Following her doubles clinch, No. 77 McDonald took on No. 84 Rolls on court No. 3. McDonald raced out to a 3-0 lead in the opening set before Rolls battled back to tie it at 3-3 and later 5-5. The sophomore responded by claiming the final two games to secure the set, 7-5. In the second, after dropping the opening game, McDonald dominated the rest of the way, winning six straight games for a 6-1 set victory and a 2-0 LSU lead.
Gaining momentum, No. 96 Lanton faced off against her doubles opponent, No. 119 Lacy, on the fourth court. After dropping the opening game, Lanton moved ahead at 3-1 before the set featured consecutive ties at 3-3 and 4-4. The freshman closed strong, winning the final two games to take the set, 6-4. In the second, Lanton controlled play with a 5-1 lead and held off a late push from Lacy to secure a 6-3 victory to give LSU a 3-0 advantage. The freshman extended her winning streak to 12 matches, bringing her season total to 21 victories while collecting her fifth-ranked win.
Up next, No. 21 Cross battled No. 28 Xu on the No. 2 spot. After three straight ties to open the first set, Xu pulled away late for a 6-3 win. In the second, Cross opened with a 3-1 lead, but Xu responded by taking the final five games to close out the match, 6-3, to alter the match score to 3-1.
Looking to clinch the match, No. 9 Brace squared off against her doubles foe, No. 65 Yang, on the top singles court. Brace controlled the opening set from the start, building a 2-0 lead before cruising to a 6-1 win. In the second, Brace held early leads at 3-1 and later 4-2 before extending to 5-3. Despite Yang making a late push, the Canadian native secured a 6-4 victory to clinch the match for LSU. As a result, Brace now has 11 wins on the season, behind eight ranked victories.
Up Next
LSU advances to the NCAA Quarterfinals in Athens, Ga., to face No. 2-seeded Auburn on Friday, May 15, at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex. Match time will be announced at a later date.
For more information on the LSU women’s tennis program, follow the Tigers on X @lsuwten, Instagram @LSUWTen, and Facebook.com/lsuwten.
LSU vs. Virginia
05/09/26 at Charlottesville, Va.
Virginia Tennis Facility
#10 LSU 4, #7 Virginia 1
Singles Competition
1. #9 Cadence Brace (LSU) def. #65 Vivian Yang (VA) 6-1, 6-4
2. #21 Kayla Cross (LSU) fell to #28 Annabelle Xu (VA) 3-6, 3-6
3. #77 Ella McDonald (LSU) def. #84 Katie Rolls (VA) 7-5, 6-1
4. #96 Addison Lanton (LSU) def. #119 Isabelle Lacy (VA) 6-4, 6-3
5. Carolina Kuhl (LSU) vs. Melodie Collard (VA) 5-7, 5-4, unfinished
6. #125 Kenna Erickson (LSU) vs. Martina Genis Salas (VA) 6-4, 1-6, 1-0, unfinished
Doubles Competition
1. #40 Cadence Brace/Kayla Cross (LSU) fell to #10 Melodie Collard/Vivian Yang (VA) 3-6
2. #17 Kenna Erickson/Ella McDonald (LSU) def. #25 Annabelle Xu/Martina Genis Salas (VA) 7-5
3. Carolina Kuhl/Addison Lanton (LSU) def. Katie Rolls/Isabelle Lacy (VA) 7-5
Match Notes:
LSU 22-9; National ranking #10
Virginia 23-6; National ranking #7
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (3,4,2,1)