The LSU women’s tennis team ended its fall 2006 tournament schedule Sunday after finishing play in the Southeastern Conference Coaches Classic. Of the four players who traveled to Peachtree City, Ga., for the event, two were introduced to the first conference play of their careers. LSU freshmen Nicole Kantor and Ashley Murdock began singles play Friday by losing their first singles conference matches of their careers. Kantor began her Flight B singles play with a loss to University of Tennessee junior Ghizela Schutte, 7-5, 6-3. Murdock also dropped her Flight C match in straight sets as she lost to University of Arkansas sophomore Nanar Airapetian, 6-2, 6-1. LSU women’s tennis assistant coach Lisa Jackson said that although the tournament may not have gone the way the players may have wanted, the experience they gained by playing was a valuable step in the players’ learning process. “It was a really good experience for our freshmen to get a taste of the SEC,” Jackson said in a news release. “We didn’t get the wins we wanted to, but the girls were fighting hard, and we know what we have to work on for the spring season.” LSU sophomores Mykala Hedberg and Staten Spencer could not grab a Main Draw win Friday for the Lady Tigers as they also dropped their first singles matches of the tournament in straight sets. Hedberg did gain her first win of the tournament after defeating Auburn University sophomore Alex Haney, 7-5, 6-3, in her consolation match later in the day. She then defeated University of South Carolina sophomore Gira Schofield on Sunday, 0-6, 7-6, 6-0, to reach the consolation final. Hedberg could not keep the momentum going in the consolation semi-final as she was forced to retire from her match against Minka Dansevic from the University of Miami due to a hip flexor injury. Although her tournament may not have started the way she had hoped, Kantor ended the event winning her final consolation match against University of Alabama sophomore Ayala Sofia, 6-2, 6-1. Not as much can be said for Murdock, who ended her tournament play in the same fashion she began, losing her final match of the tournament to Auburn freshman Jil Hastenrath, 6-2, 6-3. The Lady Tigers will be given a chance to focus more on school now that their fall season has ended. They will not play another tournament until Jan. 12, 2007, when they travel to Ann Arbor, Mich., to participate in the Michigan Classic. LSU women’s tennis coach Tony Minnis said the layoff should not affect the team’s performance during next semester’s season. “It hasn’t really affected us in the past,” Minnis said. “We get to shake off any rust there might be when we play in the Michigan, but when the season opens, we should be fine.”
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