The LSU women’s tennis team is back home for its first matches of the season at W.T. “Dub” Robinson Stadium. The Lady Tigers (3-1) will face Texas A&M (3-0) Sunday at noon. The team lost to the Aggies in match play this past season, 5-2. “We had a tough match against them last year at A&M,” said junior Megan Falcon. “Their fans are pretty rowdy, so hopefully [with playing at home] we’ll have different results and win this year.” Sophomore Nicole Kantor also said she expects the home crowd to have an impact Sunday. “It’s our first home match, and I know we’ll have a lot of fans out there,” Kantor said. “We’re very determined and very focused, and we want revenge after losing to them last year.” One thing LSU is hoping to continue improving is doubles play. Falcon said they have rearranged the doubles tandems in an effort to keep up strong play. “We’ve mixed the teams up a little bit, and I know the last doubles match we played against UC-Irvine went really, really well,” Falcon said. Against UC-Irvine on Tuesday, the Lady Tigers had their best showing of their three days on the West Coast, sweeping the Anteaters in three doubles matches and losing just once in singles. Kantor said getting to know the other person’s game is important to success in doubles. “You’re going to feel comfortable playing with the person you know best on the court,” Kantor said. LSU coach Tony Minnis said it is important for the team to be more aggressive in doubles matches. “We need to play with enthusiasm and a bit more intensity,” Minnis said. “The California girls are usually pretty good in doubles, and it was good that we got to play against some of the best doubles teams in the country.” Minnis said junior Staten Spencer suffered a hip injury against UC-Irvine, but she should be ready to play Sunday. “This team has really dealt with adversity well to this point,” he said. “I was really pleased with how we came out and played and took care of business against UC-Irvine. Injuries are going to happen, so it’s not what happens, it’s how you deal with it.” Minnis predicted fierce competition against the Aggies. “I expect war like it is every year,” he said. “They’re tough, and they’ve been very solid over the years. I would say outside of the conference, they are easily our biggest rival. I expect a tough match.”
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