The LSU women’s tennis team (6-1) failed to reach its best start since the 1995 season, falling to unranked Southern Methodist 5-2 on Tuesday.
LSU began the 1995 season at 7-0.
The loss marked the Lady Tigers’ first of the season.
The Mustangs dominated from the beginning, taking 2-of-3 in the doubles matches.
LSU’s only doubles victory came when senior Rocio Fantilli and junior Amanda Mang defeated SMU’s Svetlana Kouzmenko and Kit Carson 8-1.
Jessica Ferguson and Marina Chiarelli fell to Jenny Langer and Allison Leuszler 9-8, while Camila Chiarelli and and Lauren Seaman lost to Nadia Vaughan and Lynsie Jones, 9-8.
In the singles, Lauren Seaman and Mang were the only victories as the Mustangs won four of the six matches.
On the sixth court, Seaman got past SMU’s Brook Rambally, 7-6, 6-3.
Mang held off Carson in the tiebreaker on the No. 2 court, 6-3, 6-7, 10-6.
On the No. 1 court, Ferguson fell to Kouzmenko, 6-4, 6-1.
Ferguson had won her last five matches as the No. 1 and No. 2 singles player.
Chiarelli fell to Nadia Vaughan on the No. 4 court, 6-3, 6-2.
It was Chiarelli’s first singles loss of the year.
SMU’s Halley Rambally defeated sophomore Camila Caliari 7-5, 6-2.
Fantilli was unable to hold off Langer, 7-5, 6-1.
With the victory, SMU improved to 4-4 on the year, remaining undefeated at home.