The No. 32 LSU men’s tennis team heads to New Orleans to face Tulane at 1 p.m today at City Park Pepsi Tennis Center.
The Tigers (6-2) are facing one of their most serious opponents this season against the Green Wave (7-3), who defeated its third-straight opponent Sunday with a 6-1 win against the University of Central Florida.
LSU enters the match riding a winning streak after recording three victories last weekend, including a doubleheader sweep of Stetson, 7-0, and Lamar, 6-1, on Sunday.
The Tigers defeated North Florida in a close 4-3 match to kick off the weekend.
“We hadn’t played a lot of matches before this weekend,” said LSU coach Jeff Brown. “So to get three matches in this weekend, we’re starting to get into rhythm.”
After beginning the season with a rough outing in the ITA Kickoff Weekend and a loss to Rice on Jan. 31, the Tigers look to continue the turnaround started by their first home wins in a doubleheader against Drake University and Nicholls State on Feb. 19.
Although the squad is undefeated this season at home (4-0), LSU heading on the road for the first time since Jan. 31 and aiming to capitalize on the preparation its earlier struggles spurred.
“We’ve been working really hard, taking care of our bodies, and getting mentally ready is one of the most important things to do in these upcoming matches,” said senior Andrew Korinek.
But the Tigers will face a new level of competition against the Green Wave, which features the top tennis player in the country — senior Dominic Koepfer.
Last season, Koepfer posted a 28-7 record in singles and 16-3 in doubles matches. He was named a 2015 ITA All American and was an American Athletic Conference automatic qualifier for the NCAA Singles Championships.
“This is their best team in the last 15-20 years, with the No. 1 player in the country who plays court one for them,” Brown said. “It’s going to be a great challenge and should be a fun match. We are looking forward to it.”
Despite Koepfer’s individual achievements, Tulane is 0-4 against LSU during coach Mark Booras’ eight-year tenure.
Last season, the Tigers faced the Green Wave at home in the W.T. “Dub” Robinson Stadium and earned a tight 4-3 win on Feb. 22, 2015.
Looking forward, LSU will have a quick turnaround from its match against Tulane before taking on Florida on Friday and Auburn and Alcorn State in a doubleheader on Sunday.
“We’re all really excited for the weekend,” Korinek said. “It’s SEC season and I think all of our players are going to bring it.”
You can reach Justin Talbot on Twitter @JT15_TDR