Conference play has been difficult for LSU (13-5) as the Tigers dropped to 1-4 in the Southeastern Conference and dropped all the way out of the top 25 after a loss to Texas A&M.
LSU crept its way up to No. 18 in at the end of February before falling to then-No. 20 Alabama. The Tigers then fell to No. 24 in early March and eventually out of the top 25.
LSU has faced a difficult schedule against three top 25 teams in the same month — all three in conference play. The Tigers dropped each match putting them in a difficult position when arguing for a strong SEC seed. Conference play isn’t over until April 14, and LSU has a lot of ground to make up.
With a tough schedule remaining, the Tigers have a long way to go with nine games left to play before the SEC tournament begins. The road back to the top 25 won’t be easy, but LSU has a chance to move up the rankings with key matchups on the road against No. 8 Florida (12-2) and No. 10 Mississippi State (13-3).
Florida has six wins against top 25 teams, including No. 2 Wake Forest and No. 10 Mississippi State. The Gators handled both teams with a 5-2 victory, flexing their muscle in the statement wins. If LSU could add a win like Florida on its resume, there is a strong chance the Tigers could move up the rankings.
Mississippi State has impressive wins over No. 11 Notre Dame, No. 18 Alabama and No. 21 Oklahoma. The Bulldogs have shown that they are just as capable as any other team in the country with multiple statement wins.
A victory over either Florida or Mississippi State could put LSU in a position for a strong seed in the conference tournament and national ranking. The Tigers need to get back on track after struggling against Old Dominion and losing to No. 19 Texas A&M (14-3).
LSU faced No. 19 Texas A&M in a weekend match but fell 2-5 after being overmatched in singles. The Tigers won the doubles point, but the Aggies proved too much for LSU as they dominated, winning five of six singles matches.
“We feel like we maybe left one out there,” co-head coach Chris Brandi said in a news  release. “That’s probably one of the best teams in the SEC and the country, and we were right there at the end.
“We’ve now played three of the top four teams in the SEC and it came down to the end in them, and those are the kind of matches we want to be in. We need to take it up a notch, but we’re knocking on the door and competing and think this group will make it happen.”
The loss slid LSU back to No. 38 in the polls. The Tigers still have time to make a push to return to the top 25. LSU showed throughout the season that it has the ability to win close matches that make a statement with an important victory against No. 17 Tulane, 4-3, and an emotional win against Old Dominion, 4-3.
Winning close matches, or coming from behind, gives any team confidence whenever things seem dim. LSU showed this when it suffered back-to-back losses for the first time this season when it faced No. 25 Tennessee at home and Georgia on the road.
The Tigers bounced back with a close victory over Old Dominion. The match came down to a young Tiger, freshman Boris Kozlov. Kozlov sealed the match after his serve was returned too far. His teammates tackled him in a show of emotion that can only been seen in a team that needed a victory, and knows
its potential.
If LSU hopes to return to the top-25, make a run in the SEC tournament and make the NCAA Championships, it needs to play with that emotion and find ways to win big games the rest of conference play.