LSU women’s tennis sophomore Staten Spencer bounced back from a first-day tournament loss to win Sunday’s consolation draw at the Racquet Club Collegiate Invitational in Midland, Texas, this weekend.
After losing Friday to No. 112 Anna Blagodarova of Texas A&M University, 7-5, 6-2, Spencer won eight straight sets to win the consolation finals of the tournament.
“Staten fought really hard and played some solid tennis,” LSU assistant coach Lisa Jackson said in a news release. “The tournament was a positive experience for both Staten and Hannah [Robinson].”
Spencer fought back from her straight set loss to finish out day one of the tournament with a 6-2, 6-2 win against Rice University sophomore Alanna Rodgers.
She picked up the second day of competition in the same fashion as she ended the first, winning her match against Rice sophomore Emily Braid, 6-2, 6-2.
Spencer then qualified for the consolation finals when she knocked off Boise State University sophomore Tatiana Ganzha, 6-2, 6-3, in the consolation semi-finals.
Along with Spencer, LSU freshman Hannah Robinson was the only other Lady Tiger to qualify for the tournament.
After losing her first match of the tournament to Rice junior Tiffany Lee, 6-1, 6-3, Robinson fought back hard to defeat UCLA freshman Stephanie Wetmore, 6-3, 6-2.
Robinson’s tournament run was cut short after Pepperdine University freshman Anete Bandera defeated her, 6-2, 6-1, in the consolation semi-finals.
Although the two lost their opening tournament singles matches, Spencer and Robinson teamed up to win their first doubles match of the tournament, 8-4, against Rice freshman Rebecca Lee and Rodgers.
The two could not keep the momentum going, however, and lost their next match, 8-4, against Pepperdine junior Sylvia Kosakowski and Bandere in the second round of doubles play.
The Lady Tigers will be back in action Thursday for the five-day Intercollegiate Tennis Association Southwest Regional in Fort Worth, Texas.
—–Contact Jay St. Pierre at [email protected]