The LSU women’s tennis team will face No. 6 Florida at 4 p.m. on Thursday at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex in Gainesville, Florida.
The Lady Tigers (16-6, 5-3 Southeastern Conference) are coming off two straight SEC wins at home last weekend versus Arkansas and Missouri.
Florida is coming off a seven-match win streak against SEC opponent, including beating then-No. 5 Vanderbilt on Mar. 12, and No. 8 South Carolina on March 26.
Since Feb. 7, Florida has competed against three of top-five teams, according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
“Florida this season is undefeated within their conference, and really haven’t been challenged yet, barely losing sets let alone matches,” said LSU coach Julia Sell. “But I think this is going to fire up our group of girls, it’s our job to put pressure on them.”
But who better than a former graduate of the program to know the strength of their adversary.
The matches will serve as a de-facto homecoming for Sell, who played for the Gators from 2000-2003. As a senior at Florida, Sell won a National Championship in 2003.
“It’s always fun to go back to your alma mater, especially the further you get away, but LSU is my home now,” Sell said.
On court 1, LSU junior Joana Vale Costa and freshman Jessica Golovin will take on the No. 5 doubles pair in the nation, Brooke Austin and Kourtney Keegan.
Golovin was named SEC Freshman of the Week after defeating No. 83 Ana Oparenovic of Arkansas after winning both a singles and doubles match.
Last season, in LSU’s W.T. “Dub” Robinson Stadium, the Gators defeated LSU, 4-0.
“It definitely fuels our motivations everyday but we’re always going to look at them like any opponent as a chance to beat them,” Costa said. “Last year, the conditions were not great at all, so it’ll be a different day.”