Peter Nguyen
LSU women’s tennis co-head coach Michael Sell speaks with graduate student Taylor Bridges before the next serve Friday, April 8, 2022, during LSU’s 7-0 loss against Texas A&M in the LSU Tennis Complex on Gourrier Avenue in Baton Rouge.
After nine seasons of being involved with the program, the Sell era of LSU women’s tennis is over, as the pair elected to pursue opportunities elsewhere. This comes a year after the program’s roller-coaster 2020-21 season, where LSU’s efficient playing on the courts was overshadowed by controversy.
Their success reached its peak in 2021 when the Tigers won a program-record nine conference matchups and peaked at No. 9 in the rankings. They suffered a heartbreaking loss to Michigan in the second round of the NCAA tournament, but they were expected to remain a contender in the SEC.
But COVID-19 hindered the team early this spring, and they could never manage to get back on their feet after that. In the Sells’ final season with the Tigers, they finished 5-14.
The coaches announced they were leaving after that season was finished, as their successful tenure concluded with a blemish. It’s unclear if the controversy that surrounded the pair last season had anything to do with their departures.