The LSU women’s tennis team struggled this year, despite the injection of energy from newly-hired coach Julia Sell.
The Lady Tigers (9-16 overall, 1-12 Southeastern Conference) only managed one win in the SEC, but pulled off an upset in the first round of the SEC Tournament by beating Kentucky.
“Our girls showed some incredible heart today,” Sell said after the win in April. “That isn’t easy after the season we’ve had. We’ve been overdue for a win, and we’ve lost a lot of close battles, so being able to pull through today is huge.”
The Lady Tigers started out strong, achieving a 7-3 record in the first month of the season. LSU was led by sophomore transfer Mary Jeremiah, who played well enough early on to be promoted to court one.
Jeremiah, a former blue chip recruit coming out of high school, transferred to LSU after one season at Oklahoma State.
“She knows how to win, she’s a solid player and she’ll fight throughout the match,” Sell said in February. “She understands the game, and most importantly, she knows how to win matches even if she isn’t at her best.”
Senior Kaitlin Burns led the Lady Tigers for most of the season on court one. Burns was the only Lady Tiger to be ranked in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association singles rankings over the course of the season.
Seniors Ebie Wilson and Kerri Frankenberger were the most consistent Lady Tiger doubles pairing, as they battled through injuries to achieve nine wins on the season, which led the team.
Freshman Ella Taylor led the team in wins — mainly playing on court three — and proved to be a spark plug for the Lady Tigers all season with her fiery displays.
LSU is poised for improvement next season after the hard work Sell put in on the recruiting trail.
The returning ranks of Taylor, fellow freshman Caroline Hudson, Jeremiah and junior Ariel Morton will be bolstered by the No. 15 recruiting class in the nation — the highest in LSU’s history. The class includes three five-star prospects and is headlined by Abigail Owens — the No. 47 player in the nation. The Lady Tigers also received a commitment from Joana Vale Costa of Portugal.
Having a brand new coaching staff proved to be key in recruiting for LSU. Sell went to two straight Final Fours with Notre Dame, while assistant coach Amine Boustani is one of the most accomplished coaches in college tennis after taking Drury University to the NCAA-II Tournament 11 straight times, and winning two National Coach of the Year awards. Volunteer coach Michael Sell is a former professional tennis player, who coached Team USA at the 2012 London Olympics and currently serves as the coach for No. 1 American player John Isner.
“We have the best coaching staff in the nation,” Jeremiah said in February. “Even our volunteer coach is one of the best in the nation. Not many schools can say that about their staffs.”
