Both the men and women’s tennis teams look to bounce back this weekend after tough losses last week to Texas A&M.
The Tiger tennis teams host the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes on Saturday, Feb. 22. The women’s match begins at 11 a.m at the W.T. “Dub” Robinson Tennis Stadium. The men’s match with Tulsa immediately follows the conclusion of the women’s match.
On Sunday, the women’s tennis team hosts Southern Methodist University. That match is set to begin at 1 p.m.
Last weekend, the men and women of LSU tennis travelled to challenge Texas A&M. Both Tiger teams fell by the same exact score, 5-2, to the Aggies.
Following the defeat, the Tigers (5-1) fell one spot in the rankings this week to No. 24 in the nation. In a testament to how strong the Southeastern Conference is, all 12 men’s SEC teams are ranked in the top 30 in the nation.
This weekend’s matches precede the start of SEC play for the men and women’s tennis teams. Next weekend the Tigers host the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Auburn Tigers, while the Lady Tigers travel to play Alabama and Auburn.
“We’re looking forward [to SEC play], but we’re not overlooking Tulsa,” men’s tennis head coach Jeff Brown said. “We know we have to take it one match at a time.”
This weekend’s match is the focal point for LSU right now, Brown said, and he believes the Tigers cannot afford to slip versus Tulsa.
“In a word, Tulsa is a dangerous team,” he said. “In their lineup they’ve got some talented guys that haven’t necessarily played up to their potential yet, which means we’ll have to be ready and take advantage of anybody that’s a little off.”