A four-set winning streak over the break, including wins over Auburn, Alabama and a 6-1 win over Arkansas on Saturday, propelled the LSU women’s tennis team to the Southeastern Conference Western Division Title.
The 19th-ranked Lady Tigers, (15-5, 6-5 SEC) who began league play 0-4, finished the season on a six-match winning streak and look to continue it against Southern on Tuesday at 2 p.m.
Coach Tony Minnis said he was pleased with the recent performance.
“The team played pretty good,” Minnis said. “We didn’t come out with as much fire and intensity as we have in the past, but we did what we had to do to win.”
Minnis said he believes the team is confident heading into the match against Southern.
“We’ve had a good streak of matches we’ve won, but I hope it’s confidence, not cockiness, because we can be humbled very quickly against the teams we will be playing,” Minnis said.
Minnis said he believes the match against Southern will help prepare the Lady Tigers for the SEC tournament.
“Their program is getting better and better each year,” Minnis said. “We need to make sure we play our best and give our hardest effort. If we do that, it will be a good match to get us ready for Arkansas.”
Sophomore Lauren Seaman said the team is really focused and excited about the recent success.
“I was really pleased at how the team came out and just wanted to capture the West title,” Seaman said. “We knew we could do it. We have been going on a streak lately where we have been really pumped up. We had a few big wins in March, and we have tried to stay disciplined and keep fighting hard.”
Seaman said the team has come together throughout the streak.
“The team has bonded really well,” Seaman said. “This is the first time in a while that when we’re all on the court I feel confident everyone is competing really hard and everyone has the ability to win.”
Seaman said confidence helped the team bounce back from being down 0-4 in the beginning of SEC play.
“When we were 0-4, we were playing on the road against the toughest of the SEC schools,” Seaman said. “When we finally got to come back and get some matches at home, we had some big upsets and started to gain confidence. I think we have steadily been gaining confidence and playing better.”
Sophomore Daysi Espinal said the team played well against Arkansas and believes the team is playing hard.
“We played a very solid match right from the beginning,” Espinal said. “We felt confident because we are playing as a team and everyone is showing up and competing really hard for each other.”
Espinal also said the winning streak is bringing the team closer together.
“We are very proud of each other,” Espinal said. “We feel proud because last year we knew we could do it, but this year we are showing we are a Top-20 team.”
Espinal said the upcoming match against Southern is important for the team’s national ranking.
“It’s very important because we need to keep winning to keep our rank,” Espinal said.