The LSU women’s tennis team lost its fourth straight game of the season to Rice on Sunday afternoon in Houston, Texas, leaving the Tigers hoping to achieve their first win against Tulane this Wednesday, February 23. 

The LSU team has not only lost a lot this season, but they have lost by a significant number against each opponent. The score against Rice (5-1) was 4-0, leaving many with questions as to why.

Problems Related to COVID-19 

If there has been one thing that has dominated the first two months of the spring season for the Tigers, it is problems related to COVID-19. According to co-coach Michael Sell, the Tigers have had to play without some players in every match so far this season.

After dealing with so many cases of COVID-19 this season, the team’s focus seems to be on getting healthy enough to prevent postponing any more matches and having to forfeit on the courts they do play on.

RICE 

Even on Sunday, LSU had to play singles with five players instead of six, which meant Rice claimed court six through a walkover. 

The long and intense doubles session ended when the doubles point came from the No. 2. Rice players Anastasia Smirnova and Allison Zipoli; they held off LSU’s own Mia Rabinowitz, a graduate student, and Nina Geissler, a junior, to seal the deal for Rice with a 6-4 win. 

Tigers hope to Rebound at Tulane 

The Tigers hope to rebound from the losses, postponements and cancellations that have so far defined their season when they travel to New Orleans to face off against the Tulane Green Waves at noon Wednesday. The Green Waves are 4-3 this season with all four of these wins coming at home against Alcorn State University, Northwestern State University, Southern University and the University of Louisiana at Monroe.