The LSU women’s tennis team will make its program debut in the the ITA Team Indoor Championships against No. 10 Oklahoma State at 9 a.m. today at the University of Wisconsin’s Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison, Wisconson.
The Lady Tigers are excited for the opportunity to compete in the tournament this weekend, showing off the continued progress after last year’s crushing defeat in the qualifiers for the tournament.
“Its another record that we’ve broken, and it was a goal of ours to make that tournament,” said senior Ella Taylor. “We beat two great teams along the way, and it’s given us a lot of confidence to go and play this weekend and see the top 16 teams in the country.”
The team lost in the finals of the ITA Kickoff Weekend tournament to then-No. 3 North Carolina, 4-0, in the ITA Kickoff Weekend Championship round in 2015.
“I think it’s really exciting for the girls, especially after last year and even the year before; we came really close,” said LSU coach Julia Sell. “To get there now in the final sixteen, that’s as prestigious as it gets during the season.”
The Lady Tigers defeated the then-No. 35 DePaul and No. 24 Georgia Tech in the ITA Kickoff Weekend on Jan. 23 and 24 to qualify for this tournament.
Heading into the weekend, the team is undefeated with an 5-0 record, its best start to a season since 2004 when LSU began 6-0.
This strong start marks another milestone in the progression of the Lady Tigers during Sell’s tenure, which has been noticed by several players throughout the team.
“Since my freshman year, we’ve become high ranked and done better in tournaments, beating better teams,” Taylor said.“I think a lot of the progression we’ve seen is confidence. We’ve all grown as players and we feel more comfortable with our own games.”
Oklahoma State (6-0) rolls into the match undefeated, qualifying for the tournament by defeating Notre Dame and Northwestern State in the ITA Kickoff Weekend on Jan. 23 and 24.
The Cowgirls finished last season ranked No. 12 after advancing to the Sweet Sixteeen of the NCAA Tournament.
The Oklahoma State roster features four players in the ITA singles rankings to challenge the Lady Tigers’ trio of ranked players: No. 23 junior Joana Vale Costa, No. 53 freshman Jessica Golovin and No. 93 senior Skylar Kuykendall.
Winning the double’s point will be crucial for LSU to advance in the tournament. The Lady Tigers have taken the doubles point in their last seven matches, posting a 6-1 record when they win the point.
If the Lady Tigers win Friday against Oklahoma State, they will face the winner of a No. 5 North Carolina against No. 13 Alabama matchup Saturday.
The Tigers will play at a time to be announced at Neilsen Tennis Stadium.