After upsetting seventh-seeded Arkansas on Thursday to begin the Southeastern Conference Tournament, the LSU women’s tennis team could not continue the run as the team lost to No. 2-seed Vanderbilt on Friday.
The No. 8 nationally-ranked team proved to be too difficult for the No. 66 Lady Tigers who dropped the match 4-0 in Gainesville, Fla.
“This was a tough match for us,” said LSU coach Tony Minnis in a news release. “Vanderbilt is a top-10 team, and they definitely played like it today.”
The Lady Tigers began the match by dropping the doubles point in consecutive sets.
LSU sophomore Tiffany Tucker and freshman Mykala Hedberg dropped the first doubles pairing against junior Amanda Fish and sophomore Taka Bertrand 8-2.
Vanderbilt junior Amanda Taylor and sophomore Caroline Ferrell clinched the doubles point of the match for the Commodores after defeating senior Marina Chiarelli and sophomore Anastaysia Dubova 8-5.
Seniors Daysi Espinal and Lauren Seaman were behind in their doubles match against the freshmen duo of Liberty Sveke and Courtney Ulery 6-5 when doubles play was called.
Vanderbilt freshman Maggie Yahner earned the first singles point for the Commodores after she forced LSU senior Camila Caliari to retire in her second set.
Dubova did not earn a point in any of her two sets against Taylor and dropped the third point of the event, 6-0.
Vanderbilt clinched the match when No. 14-ranked singles player Fish defeated Hedberg in two sets 6-2, 6-1.
Chiarelli’s, Seaman’s and Tucker’s matches were called before they could finish.
Chiarelli was down one set in her match against No. 35 Bertrand.
Seaman had won her first set against Ulery 6-3 and led her second set 2-1 when play was called.
After losing her first set to Ferrell 6-0 Tucker had fallen behind in her second 4-3 when the match was called.
This was the second time this season Vanderbilt shut out the Lady Tigers. LSU lost to the Commodores 7-0 on March 10 in Baton Rouge.
 
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