The LSU tennis teams will look to rebound from some disappointing performances during the opening weekend of Southeastern Conference play when they take on Auburn and Alabama this weekend.
The Tigers missed an opportunity to start SEC season with a win as they dropped a close match to No. 25 Vanderbilt last weekend. They followed that up with a shutout loss to No. 6 Kentucky.
LSU coach Jeff Brown said it is important for the Tigers to not get down about last weekend and to keep playing tough.
Senior Olivier Borsos, who started the season on court one, continues to recover from a lower leg injury that will likely help the Tigers. Last weekend, Borsos played his best two matches of the season, winning against Vanderbilt and just missing his second victory after play was suspended while he was at match point.
Brown said Borsos’ resurgence will allow the Tigers to return to return to playing in the spots they are most comfortable. Freshman Tam Trinh, who was playing up due to Borsos’ injury, will move back to a lower court, giving him the best chance to be more competitive, according to Brown.
LSU will look to get a boost from the crowd as it hosts Auburn at 3 p.m. on Friday in its SEC home opener. They will then travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala. to face the Crimson Tide at 1 p.m. Sunday.
The Lady Tigers also got saddled with two losses in their SEC opening weekend. After a 0-7 loss to No. 12 Vanderbilt, they let a winnable match against Kentucky slip through their fingers.
“Against Kentucky, we missed the opportunity to clinch the win after [leading in the final match],” said LSU coach Julia Sell. “We also lost focus from our senior captains … that is unacceptable.”
The Lady Tigers will go on the road for the first time in conference play, taking on No. 14 Auburn at 3 p.m. Friday and No. 6 Alabama at 1 p.m. Sunday.
“The environment on the road [in the SEC] is extremely difficult, but that is what makes collegiate tennis so much fun,” Sell said. “We are going to embrace it and enjoy every moment of a high energy and competitive atmosphere.”
