The LSU women’s tennis team churned out a winning weekend in Utah as the fall season drew to a close.
Six Lady Tigers roared into Salt Lake City for the Utah Fall Invitational this weekend for LSU’s final tournament of the fall 2011 season, and each won at least two matches.
“We played well across the board,” said LSU coach Tony Minnis. “We got a lot of matches in and played some very solid tennis.”
Senior Whitney Wolf went wild in Utah, winning three doubles matches and three singles matches. She took home the doubles title and reached the final in singles.
The Pride, La., native blazed through the singles main draw all the way to the final but was denied a championship, losing to Utah’s Sarah Pham, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0. The loss was only the second in Wolf’s last 10 singles matches.
“Even though she lost, she’s doing things that she hasn’t done in the past that are just going to make her a better player,” Minnis said. “She’s more consistent, she’s using her touch more. She’s doing some different things that have really impressed me.”
Junior Keri Frankenberger dropped her two singles matches in her fall 2011 debut after recovering from back surgery in late August. But she and doubles partner Wolf flew through the doubles main draw all the way to the championship. The duo defeated the team of Danielle Flores and Natasha Smith from Utah in the final, 9-8 (7-5).
“[Frankenberger] had been out up until mid-October,” Minnis said. “She’s a very, very good doubles player, and was All-SEC in singles a couple years ago, so it was nice to have her back. She stepped up and played some solid tennis.”
Senior Olivia Howlett won her first two singles matches and played her way to the semifinals, where she fell to Pham, 7-5, 6-2.
The Lady Tigers, who competed against players from Utah, Idaho State, Boise State, Wyoming and BYU, finished the Utah Invitational with overall records of 12-9 in singles and 7-2 in doubles, including their regularly-scheduled matches and added matches.
Now that the fall season is over, the Lady Tigers are facing the transition to the spring season. Rankings will change, doubles teams will shift around and two-team matches will replace weekend invitational tournaments. 
 
 
 
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