After an inconsistent season for the LSU women’s tennis team, the Lady Tigers’ regular season comes to an end Saturday when they host a doubleheader against Arkansas and Jackson State.
LSU (10-12, 2-10 Southeastern Conference) lost five of its past six matches coming into this weekend, including losses to No. 4 Florida and No. 2 Georgia.
The weekend’s doubleheader is the team’s final chance to build positive momentum heading into the SEC Championships, which begin April 16 in Columbia, Mo.
The match between the Lady Tigers and the Lady Razorbacks (13-14) should be interesting because Arkansas and LSU have identical records in SEC play.
With both squads coming off losses and poor performances during league play, the match may be very closely contended as the two teams fight for much-needed momentum heading into the postseason.
“It’s two teams that have been really close with other teams,” said LSU coach Julia Sell. “We’re both very hungry for the win, and we’re hungry to go into the SEC tournament with confidence.”
Arkansas’ latest loss came in a 4-0 sweep against Tennessee. The Lady Vols were also able to beat LSU in their matchup on April 4, when they snuck out of Baton Rouge with a 4-3 victory.
Though the Lady Tigers will face stiff competition against Arkansas, they can’t overlook their second Saturday opponent. Jackson State, (8-12, 7-0 SWAC) has played a few SEC teams during its 2014 season, giving the team some experience against tougher opponents.
Although Jackson State isn’t perceived as a threat to the Lady Tigers, it can’t be overlooked by an LSU squad that needs every win it can get at the end of the season.
“We just have to focus on the process and not worry about the result,” Sell said. “If I can keep them doing that we can be successful.”
The doubleheader will be a stepping stone for the Lady Tigers as they look to start a Cinderella run through the SEC Championships.
“The opposite of winning is quitting, and we’re not quitting,” Sell said.
The action begins at 11 a.m. when LSU takes on the Razorbacks. The Jackson State match is scheduled to start at 5 p.m.