It is impossible to imagine the emotions and passion that go into each NCAA tournament game as a senior, knowing that the current match you are playing could potentially be the last one you play as a member of your team.
LSU senior Paris Corley has made sure not to let that happen so far, and it has not been easy to say the least.
Corley came into this tournament ranked No. 60 in singles, despite sporting a 19-4 (now 21-4) record and a five-match win streak that included two opponents ranked in the top-75. To say she was underrated would be an understatement, as it’s been clear since her first match of the tournament that she was built for this.
In that match, she faced off against another underrated player in Xavier’s Ahmeir Kyle, who came into the tournament ranked No. 122.
Corley seemed to have the match under her control from the third game of the match, winning six straight games to take the first set 6-2. But the second set was a lot more even, and even though Corley managed to obtain a slim lead early on, it was neck-and-neck by the end.
In a close tiebreaker set, Kyle came out on top to send the match into a third set.
It seemed like the two players were going to battle it out for the third set as well, with the score being 3-3 after six games. However, that would be the last time the match was even, as Corley would close it out with three straight wins and advance to the Round of 32.
Her Round of 32 opponent would be a true test of her ability, peaking as the highest ranked player she’s faced this season at No. 14. Not only was Iowa’s Alexa Noel a top-15 player, but she also won Big 10 player of the year and had yet to lose a match during the season up to this point.
Her win streak was at 24, and she also won 15 straight matches in just two sets heading into the tournament. That skill was apparent in her first set against Corley, as she won it in just seven games.
Corley would not give into the pressure though, stealing the momentum from Noel in the second set and maintaining it heading into the third. In a huge game five, she would come back from a 0-40 deficit to win it and obtain a 3-2 lead.
That win would prove to be huge later in the set, as Noel would eventually tie it at 5-5, which would have been 6-4 and a win for Noel had that comeback not happened. Corley would take the next two games and the upset of the best player in the Big 10 was complete.
With that win, Paris Corley became an ITA Singles All-American and earned a spot in the Sweet 16. She will face No. 61 Selin Ovunc out of Auburn on Tuesday at 12:30 PM.
