It’s one thing to have high expectations, but coach Julia Sell believes this is the best tennis team she’s ever had at LSU, hands down.
The LSU women’s tennis team opens its fall season Friday traveling to Cary, North Carolina to compete in the James Bonk Invititational. The event will consist of Duke, North Carolina, Florida and several other teams that finished within the Top 25 of last season’s final Intercollegiate Tennis Association Rankings.
“This tournament is more selective,” Sell said. “It’s a really high level event and it’s a great opportunity for them to get in a lot of quality matches and wins.”
Senior Skylar Holloway is excited to get the season started and headed in a positive direction. She credits the positive energy that the team members are producing with helping them get the most out of their practices for the past four weeks.
Senior Abby Owens, a member of the 2016 All-Louisiana First Team and last season’s team leader in wins with 32 wins and eight losses, is ready to be tested once again after the team’s 4-2 loss to Virginia last season in the second round of the Division I Women’s Tennis Tournament.
“We’ve just been focusing on getting better ever since we’ve gotten back, and this tournament will be a good test to see how far we’ve come,” Owens said.
Rebecca Weissmann is the lone freshman on this year’s team, but she is playing alongside experienced teammates. Holloway, Owens, senior Joana Vale Costa, junior Kennan Johnson and junior Ryann Foster all return this season.
“Skylar, Joana and I have kind of come together to help guide the team, but they’ve honestly done a great job on their own,” Owens said.“We have one new girl, Becca, and we’re all really excited to see what she can do out there.”
The ITA released its preseason Division I Women’s Singles Rankings on Tuesday and Owens, Vale Costa and sophomore Jessica Golovin ranked within the top 125. Vale Costa is ranked No. 16 in the country, Golovin is ranked No. 38 and Owens is ranked No. 107.
“I was happy to see them get recognition for that,” Sell said. “That’s based all on their results from last year. They’ve all been really impressive, and this is the best group we’ve ever had, hands down.”