If there were a word for coaches Jeff Brown and Julia Sell’s teams in the fall, it would be “revival.”
Both the LSU men’s and women’s tennis teams go into spring 2014 with young squads. Junior Chris Simpson is the only Tiger that has lettered twice for Brown. Sell’s No. 14 recruiting class brought in five new players, including four freshmen.
With three freshmen, a sophomore transfer and just four players with experience for No. 22 LSU, the goals for each Tiger differs. However, striving for improvement from week to week is a constant among the eight-man roster.
“[Fall]’s a super important time for our team,” Brown said. “For the guys that are more capable of playing at the top of the lineup, you’d really like to see them have big breakthrough events where they get past some ranked players and things like that, and for the other guys, you want them to … improve the level and for them to come out of the fall with confidence.”
No. 29 Simpson led LSU with nine singles victories in four tournaments this fall, including a semifinal finish in the Southeastern Conference Fall Classic.
In the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Southern Regionals, Simpson and sophomore Boris Arias reached the finals with three doubles victories. The duo fell 8-5 to No. 10 Ole Miss’ pairing of William Kallberg and Stefan Lindmark in the final round of the Alabama-hosted event.
Simpson and Arias didn’t play together much last season, but their success this fall foreshadows the Tigers’ spring potential.
“The buy-in has been really good with this team,” Brown said. “They’re all on the same page. We don’t really have anybody that’s out in left field … and they’re pushing each other and encouraging each other.”
Sell and her Lady Tigers will bring a similar hope and raw perspective into January as well.
In just her second year with LSU, Sell brought in the highest-ranked recruiting class in program history this summer. Freshmen Skylar Holloway, Gabrielle Otero, Abigail Owens and Joana Vale Costa and junior transfer Noel Scott join three returnees for the Lady Tigers.
“It’s been exciting to watch how the new people, and their enthusiasm is motivating even our returnees,” Sell said. “Our returnees have the experience of being here but you have some kids coming in that have more experience with competing, and that combination has just been fun to watch.”
LSU entered the fall coming off a 2012-13 campaign with a 2-13 record in the SEC and a 3-15 mark against nationally ranked teams.
Fresher than a new can of balls or a recently-stringed racquet is the talent that arrived in Baton Rouge in August. The newcomers have performed well for the Lady Tigers, winning more than half their singles matches played this fall.
Scott notched two victories against six nationally ranked opponents she faced this fall. Otero and sophomore Ella Taylor led the team with five singles victories each.
With 26 singles and 12 doubles wins this fall, the foreseeable future for the Lady Tigers looks as bright as the spring season that lies ahead.
“When you have so many new faces, that’s always a question mark in your mind is how will they group together,” Sell said. “There’s really not a bad word to say about any of them. The improvement I’ve seen already is kind of just exciting for me as a coach and for us as a staff. It’s been a fun semester.”