Feb. 7, 2009
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The Texas A&M women's tennis team faces its third consecutive top-25 team as the No. 27 Aggies play host to No. 23 LSU Sunday at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center. First serve is 1 p.m.
"A&M and LSU, need you say more," A&M coach Bobby Kleinecke said. "We always battle. We always have tough matches, and I expect this year to be no different. They are the team that is supposed to beat us, but we have them at our place. I think it is going to be a great college tennis match. I hope we have some good weather and get a lot of people out, because A&M and LSU is a great [match] to watch."
A&M improved to 3-1 on the season -- including 2-0 at home -- after defeating No. 25 Auburn in blustery conditions Friday evening. The Aggies, who were coming off a 4-1 loss at No. 10 USC last Sunday, swept three closely contested doubles matches and then won four of six singles matches to defeat the Tigers, 5-2.
Sophomore Morgan Frank highlighted the match, giving the Aggies the lead for good at 2-1 with an impressive straight-set victory over 86th-ranked Alex Haney at the No. 2 position. It was Haney's first loss of the season after starting out 3-0, including wins against No. 10 Josipa Bek of Clemson and No. 23 Iraina Falconi of Georgia Tech.
Sophomore Christi Liles put A&M up, 3-1, with a straight-set victory at the No. 4 line, and freshman Sheri Olivier clinched the match for the Aggies with a 6-2, 1-6, 6-2 at No. 5. Sophomore Stephanie Davidson recorded the final point of the contest with a straight-set win at No. 6.
LSU is 4-1 after defeating No. 73 SMU, 6-1, in the Lady Tigers' home opener Friday in Baton Rouge, La. It marked the fourth victory over a nationally ranked opponent for LSU, whose only loss was a 4-1 setback at No. 3 UCLA in the second round of the ITA Kick-off Weekend.
The Lady Tigers, led by Megan Falcon who is 17-4 and ranked No. 5 in singles and is ranked No. 17 in doubles with partner Mykala Hedberg, swept the doubles matches against the Mustangs and won five of six singles matches in straight sets.
A&M is 19-9 all-time against LSU and has won the last four meetings. Last year, the Aggies defeated the Lady Tigers, 6-1, in Baton Rouge.
Live scoring of all A&M women's tennis matches will be available at AggieAthletics.com
2009 NCAA Tennis Championships: Texas A&M will host the 2009 NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Tennis Championships, May 14-25, at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center in College Station, Texas. Tickets can be purchased online at 12ManFoundation.com or by calling 1-888-99-AGGIE.