After double faulting in Southeastern Conference play last weekend, the men and women’s LSU tennis teams try to rebound this weekend against Tennessee and Georgia.
The Lady Tigers (7-7, 1-3 SEC) host No. 11 Tennessee today at 4 p.m. and No. 5 Georgia Sunday at 1 p.m. at W.T. “Dub” Robinson Stadium.
Last weekend the Lady Tigers fell to No. 24 South Carolina, 5-2, after winning the doubles point to begin the match. On Sunday LSU bottomed out against No. 1 Florida in a 7-0 romping.
The only victories last weekend came courtesy of doubles teams Rocio Fantilli and Lauren Seaman and Camila Caliari and Daysi Espinal. Espinal also owned the lone singles victory for the Lady Tigers on the weekend.
“I think that as a team we are trying to work hard together so that as the season is going on, we can be even better,” Espinal said.
In similar fashion, the LSU men’s tennis team dropped a 4-3 decision to No. 16 South Carolina last Friday and followed suit by getting blanked by No. 2 Florida, 7-0, Sunday.
LSU (7-4, 1-3 SEC) hits the road again this weekend, stopping in Knoxville, Tenn., today to battle No. 27 Tennessee and in Athens, Ga., Sunday to challenge No. 26 Georgia.
“Like I said, every weekend in the SEC there’s a chance that you’re going to pick up some wins, good wins, because every weekend you’re playing a top 30 team,” men’s tennis head coach Jeff Brown said about the competitive playing level of the SEC.
Home court advantage is a huge factor in the SEC, Brown commented.
“The home crowd can, at times, influence different things that are going on out there,” he said. “Home court advantage is a big issue especially from a rest standpoint — you haven’t traveled, you’re on a familiar territory and you’ve got the momentum of a crowd.”