No. 12 LSU (10-2) opened SEC play with a win against strong conference rival Alabama (10-3) Friday night.
LSU came out to take the early advantage with No. 11 ranked-duo of sophomore Eden Richardson and senior Jessica Golovin. The two earned their doubles victory with a 6-2 win. Senior Kennan Johnson and freshman Anna Loughlan didn’t have the same success. They dropped their match 6-2 to tie things up.
Junior Paris Corley and sophomore Taylor Bridges earned the doubles point for the Lady Tigers. They battled for a 6-4 victory that put LSU up 1-0 going into singles play.
It didn’t take long for Bridges to end her singles match quickly. She finished with a 6-1 and 6-0 sweep. No. 15 ranked Richardson to prove her ranking. She dominated with a 6-2 and 6-3 victory that put LSU up 2-0. It seemed as though LSU brought its best to begin conference play.
Golovin finished the win up for the Tigers during the 4-0 sweep. She won 6-3 and 6-4 in two sets. This win marks the eighth sweep for LSU during the spring season. LSU faces another SEC opponent this weekend as Auburn (13-2) makes its way to Baton Rouge on Sunday. Auburn played Alabama Saturday, Feb. 23 and won four to 3.
“It was a great start to our SEC season with a solid win over a good Alabama team,” co-head coach Julia Sell said. “Now it’s time to rest and recover for our next match on Sunday.”