The second time was the charm for Tennessee women’s tennis in a 4-3 win against LSU.
The No. 19 Lady Vols (13-8, 8-7 SEC) won a gritty showdown Saturday against the No. 12 Tigers (15-8, 8-7 SEC), taking the doubles point and wins on courts 1, 2 and 5. The Tigers had previously swept the Lady Vols early in the season at the ITA Indoor Championships.
“LSU is one of the best teams in the country, and so are we,” head coach Alison Ojeda said. “I think the difference between us winning this match and not winning it was us going after our shots at the right time, but with low stress. High intensity, but in a calm way.”
The Lady Vols quickly grabbed the momentum to open doubles play and didn’t let it go. First to finish were Catherine Aulia and Leyla Britez Risso, taking three straight games to defeat Kenna Erickson and Ella McDonald on Court 2, 6-3.
Then, Katrina Scott and Maeve Thornton delivered the first point of the day for Tennessee on Court 3. Falling behind 3-2 to Addison Lanton and Alexia Marginean, the Lady Vols pair found their groove and didn’t lose a game from there, taking the set 6-3.
“I think one thing is just us trusting each other,” Scott said. “We’ve come to a place where we really know each other, and we’re able to find so much joy on the court while playing that it just feels easy, to be honest.”
Francesca Mattioli and Vanesa Suarez were also up 5-1 on Court 1 when their teammates clinched the doubles point.
LSU tied it up as Lanton took down Suarez 6-1, 6-2 on Court 3. But the Lady Vols took the lead back on Court 5, as Mattioli sprinted to victory over Kinaa Graham, 6-4, 6-1. Graham’s powerful forehand was a challenge for Mattioli, but the sophomore stayed composed to take her opponent down in straight sets.
“I knew that I had to be patient,” Mattioli said. “I knew I was going to get it, I was just fighting and trusting myself.”
The Tigers would once again tie the dual on Court 4. Catherine Aulia struggled in the first set against Carolina Kuhl, losing 6-0. She looked better in the second set, but couldn’t finish, falling 7-5.
LSU took the lead for the first time on Court 6, as Erickson defeated Audrey Aulia. The Tennessee freshman fought hard to force a tiebreaker in the first set, but struggled in the race to seven, losing the set 7(7)-6(1). Aulia couldn’t force a third, falling 6-3 in the second set.
Britez Risso made it 3-3 with a Court 2 win over McDonald. After splitting the first two sets, winning 6-3 and losing 6-2, Britez Risso put her foot on the gas to win the final set 6-2 and claim her 16th win this spring, tying her spring win total from last season.
“It feels incredible,” Britez Risso said. “I can say that I’m proud of myself, because these two days have been emotional for me. But I really just wanted to get the win for my team and make them happy.”
With the dual tied 3-3, it came down to a marquee matchup on Court 1. Scott and LSU’s Cadence Brace, two players and friends with history against each other in the pro circuit, squared off in a collegiate setting for the first time.
Scott started off hot, taking a 5-1 lead in the first set. But despite the score, every point was close, and Brace crawled back with five straight games to make it 6-5. Scott stayed in it, though, forcing a tiebreaker, and finally winning an exhausting set, 7(8)-6(6).
The second set was much swifter. Scott didn’t look back and clinched the dual with a 6-1 win.
“I was just trying to keep my head down, trying not to look at the other scores,” Scott said. “I felt like the match was in my hands, so I was either going to win it in my hands or lose it in my hands.”
The Lady Vols got the start-to-finish effort needed to claim the rematch against LSU and head into tournament play with positive momentum, as they took both matches on their final homestand. With the win, Tennessee will jump LSU for eighth in the SEC standings, meaning the Lady Vols will have a bye in the conference tournament next week.
“We’ve been talking about things clicking on the same day, and I think it did today,” Britez Risso said. “Like Alison said when we were in the circle, it’s a team win today.”
The Lady Vols finish the regular season with a win and move to 8-7 in conference play. They head to Norman, Oklahoma, for the SEC Tournament and will play their first match on Thursday, April 16.
