The LSU women’s tennis team will leave the Mardi Gras atmosphere of Baton Rouge this weekend as they travel to southern California for a pair of matches against San Diego and San Diego State.
The No. 65-ranked Tigers (3-2) picked up their third win of the season on Valentine’s Day, defeating in-state rival Tulane, 6-1, to give LSU its second consecutive victory.
“Before the season I was worried about the match, but we stepped out and played really well,” said LSU coach Tony Minnis. “I think it should give us momentum to hopefully get back on track and play some solid tennis.”
LSU will look to keep the ball rolling Sunday when it faces battle-tested No. 35 San Diego (1-3). The Toreros have competed against all ranked competition this season, as they have losses to No. 33 Arizona, No. 19 Arizona State and No. 28 Washington.
The Tigers then take on another tested opponent in No. 54 San Diego State (2-3). The Aztecs have recorded victories against UC-Riverside and Cal State-Fullerton while dropping matches to No. 33 Arizona, No. 7 California and No. 27 Pepperdine.
LSU has struggled with injuries all spring, with several players missing time throughout the early portion of the season.
Senior Olivia Howlett continues to battle a groin strain, while junior Keri Frankenberger is still recovering from back surgery he had in the fall. Sophomores Ariel Morton and Yvette Vlaar have also been struck by injuries this season, as Morton continues to battle a high ankle sprain, and Vlaar has struggled with a knee injury.
“If we can get through the adversity with all the things that we’ve gone through, when we get healthy and are able to focus, we’ll be able to pick it up and do well,” Minnis said.
The Tigers have also battled the elements over the past week, with rain causing many issues in their practice schedule.
“[The rain] is one of the reasons why each year we try to hit the road in January and February,” Minnis said. “We typically try to schedule teams [at home] in March and April, when there’s a better chance of nice weather.”
LSU will face San Diego on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. CST at USD West Tennis Courts and San Diego State Tuesday at 4 p.m. CST at Aztec Tennis Center.
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Contact Ian Fontenot at [email protected]