The LSU women’s tennis team, after a loss to Ole Miss Sunday, is set for a tough road trip beginning Friday against South Carolina and finishing Sunday against No. 4 Florida.
The Gamecocks (10-8, 1-6 Southeastern Conference) have struggled lately, losing their last six matches, but LSU coach Julia Sell insists they’re not the team their record shows.
South Carolina started the season 10-2, winning its first conference game, before going on its recent losing skid.
The road trip for the Lady Tigers could potentially be a rough one, with arguably their biggest test of the season when they take the trip to Gainesville, Fla. to battle the No. 4 Gators on Sunday.
The Gators have been on top of the SEC in recent years, including winning back-to-back National Championships in 2011 and 2012. They are 13-4 on the year, boasting a 5-2 record in the SEC, compared to LSU’s 9-8 and 2-6 records.
Sell said the Lady Tigers need to bring their A-game this weekend to overcome the challenge the road trip poses, especially against a team that never seems to drop out of the top five.
“We’re still striving for more. We’re happy to see jump, but we’re certainly not satisfied with where it’s at yet, and we’re looking to make it keep climbing,” Sell said.
LSU’s men’s tennis squad, one week after its first Southeastern Conference victory of the season, look to continue its winning ways when they take on South Carolina Friday.
The Gamecocks have been hot as of late, winning their last three matches, including two SEC wins against No. 34 Auburn and No. 45 Alabama.
After a slump that saw the Tigers struggling tremendously in SEC play, 0-6 in the conference to start off, they were able to get the monkey off their back and get their first SEC win at Ole Miss.
“A little bit of a burden was lifted off,” LSU coach Jeff Brown said. “Certainly you don’t want to be winless in the conference, and especially in a conference that has 13 or so teams ranked.”
The match will be played at home as the showdown with the No. 36 Gamecocks is scheduled for 3 p.m.
Brown said his team has done a good job of keeping their eyes set on getting better and not getting discouraged, which has helped them mature throughout the season.
A tweak in the Tigers’ doubles lineup has improved their recent play, as the Tigers have gone undefeated in doubles play since the switch.
Brown looks to make more tweaks to the system heading into this weekend, changing the pairings once again to test the waters and gage which pairings are best for the team.
“There’s a lot to play for,” Brown said. “South Carolina got on a little bit of a roll themselves beating both Auburn and Alabama at home, so it should be a good match with two teams that are feeling better about themselves.”