Both LSU tennis teams carry 1-1 Southeastern Conference records into the weekend to take on a pair of Western Division rivals from the Magnolia State.
The Tigers (4-7, 1-1) square off with No. 22 Ole Miss today at 3 p.m. followed by a tilt with Mississippi State on Sunday, both at home.
The Rebels bested LSU by the slimmest of margins a season ago in Oxford, winning a 4-3 match.
“[Ole Miss] is as strong of a rival as we have,” said LSU coach Jeff Brown. “They’ve been a perennial top-10 team for quite a few years now. We hope we have a great crowd to push us along.”
The Rebels’ neighbors from the south visit Baton Rouge for a 1 p.m. battle on Sunday. Mississippi State (4-4, 1-1) travels to Fayetteville, Ark., to play Arkansas before heading to Baton Rouge for Sunday’s matchup.
“[Mississippi State] is every bit as good as Ole Miss,” Brown said. “I think Ole Miss will end up being in the top 20, and I think Mississippi State will be in the top 20 after the SEC schedule and they’re home matches. They’re just two very strong opponents.”
While the Tigers fight to defend home court at W.T. “Dub” Robinson Stadium, the Lady Tigers will visit the same two opponents in Mississippi, beginning with the No. 38 Rebels today at 3 p.m.
The Lady Tigers (3-6, 1-1) hope to continue the momentum they gained in their best match of the spring, a 4-0 win over No. 27 South Carolina on March 6.
“[The Rebels] return lots of players from last year’s team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16,” said LSU coach Tony Minnis. “Hopefully we can carry the momentum we gained against South Carolina into this match.”
Bragging rights are on the line, not only on the court, but in the Vlaar family.
Ole Miss freshman Vivian Vlaar, who is 9-0 in singles this season, is the younger sister of LSU freshman Yvette Vlaar.
Ole Miss shut out LSU last season, 7-0.
The Lady Tigers finish the abbreviated road trip in Starkville, Miss., with a 1 p.m. match against the Lady Bulldogs.
When LSU returns to Baton Rouge, a six-match homestand awaits, beginning with Iowa on Wednesday at “The Dub.”