Winning the weekend and being one of the 16 teams in Seattle from Feb. 8-11 was what each tennis team went into the ITA Kick-Off Weekend thinking.
The tournament provided LSU a plethora of opportunities. The opportunity to improve as a team, secure a spot in the U.S. National Indoor Team Championships and move up in the national rankings.
The Tigers were successful in capturing each goal, putting them in a position to face some of the toughest competition in the country.
LSU opened the weekend facing an undefeated Clemson team that only dropped three points in its previous weekend tournament against the College of Charleston and Presbyterian College. The weekend wasn’t going to be full of fun like a typical weekend in Florida. It would be a grind as the team looked to continue their early success.
No. 30-ranked duo, junior Paris Corley and sophomore Taylor Bridges, opened the weekend for the Tigers and gained the early lead with a 6-2 win. No. 9-ranked duo, senior Jessica Golovin and sophomore Eden Richardson, sealed the doubles point for the Tigers with a 6-3 victory over Clemson’s own No. 3-ranked duo.
“Clemson is a very strong team in doubles and singles, so to have such a strong quick start today really set the tone,” co-head coach Julia Sell said.
After gaining the lead 1-0 in the doubles point, it didn’t take long for LSU to seal the overall team win. Senior Kennan Johnson, Corley and Bridges finished the job all in straight sets giving LSU a 4-0 win. The next step was Tennessee.
Opening up the match, the Tigers put themselves in a difficult position. The duos of Johnson and sophomore Luba Vasilyuk, as well as Golovin and Richardson, lost to give Tennessee the doubles point. Being down 1-0 against a good Tennessee team was where LSU would learn its identity and if it was good enough to make it to Seattle for the Indoor Championships.
Bridges tied it up early for LSU, sweeping her match in straight sets, 6-0 and 6-4 Vasilyuk bounced back after the doubles loss and gave LSU the 2-1 lead after winning her match 6-4 and 6-3. At this point, it seemed as though the Tigers might be made up of players who were good enough to head to Seattle and have continued to improve.
Golovin fought her way to a gritty win against Tennessee freshman and No. 91-ranked Kaitlin Staines. She won her match 7-6 (3) and 7-5. Succeeding in a battle like that can swing the momentum, building confidence for any athlete and team. The dominoes continued to fall in place for LSU after the victory that gave them the lead 3-1.
Corley was the final Tiger to finish her match. She dropped her first set 3-6 but came back after being down early winning the next two sets 6-3 and 6-2. This was a testament to the leadership of the team and the desire to win.
“We played a very poor doubles point and it took us a while to get our energy going,” Sell said. “Tennessee is a very loud and competitive team, and for us to beat such a good team while not playing our best is a testament to the heart and soul of these Tigers.”
This victory sealed a few things for LSU. It won the team the ITA Kick-Off Weekend, secured a spot in the U.S. National Indoor Championship and moved them No. 18 in the ITA rankings. The next step for the Tigers is three matches close to home — Tulane, Rice and Southern. Looking past that to their secured spot, is the four-day tournament filled with 10 top-25 teams.
The U.S. National Indoor Championship will give LSU a real evaluation of how good this team could potentially be. The battle for that tournament will not be whether the team compete, but if LSU can keep up its energy during the hard times because the team surely will be tested. The trip to Seattle will be a grind for LSU, but if the “heart and soul” continues to come through, the team has a serious chance at making a run.
“They earned their way to Seattle today,” Sell said.
