Monday, 05/25/2009

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – After winning the first set and racing out to an early second-set lead LSU women’s tennis player Megan Falcon ran out of gas as she fell to Miami’s Laura Vallverdu 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 in the NCAA round of 16 Friday at Texas A&M’s George P. Mitchell Tennis Center.

 

No. 13 Falcon ended her season with a 34-8 overall record, and she finished her career with a sparkling 99-18 career mark which ranks eighth all time in LSU history.

 

The Intercollegiate Tennis Association also released the final team rankings Friday, and LSU finished in the top 25 as the Lady Tigers checked in at No. 24. Nine SEC teams finished in the top 25 while national champion Duke finished No. 1.

 

Falcon got off to a hot start against 24th-ranked Vallverdu as she captured the first two games of the first set. Vallverdu won the next two games to even the set at 2-all, but Falcon answered by winning four of the next five games to win the set 6-3.

 

Falcon was broken to open the second set, but she broke Vallverdu right back to even the set at 1-all. After each player held serve to make it 2-2, Falcon won the next three games to go up 5-2, but she could not put Vallverdu away.

 

Vallverdu captured the final 11 games of the match to beat Falcon 7-5, 6-0 in the final two sets.

 

“It was a very tough way to end a tremendous career. Megan controlled the match and was playing good tennis, and Vallverdu stepped her game up while Meg got tight,” LSU head coach Tony Minnis said. “It was a tough way for Megan to go out, but it does not diminish what she has done as an LSU Lady Tiger. She has been great since she got here, and we are going to miss her.”

 

Falcon finished her career as one of the most decorated women’s tennis players in LSU history. She is the only three-time Singles All-American at LSU as well as the only three-time First-Team All-SEC selection. Falcon is also the only women’s player in LSU history to be ranked No. 1 in the nation which is where she was ranked to open her junior season.

 

Falcon ended her career with an incredible 62-7 dual record at the No. 1 singles position and a 37-11 record in tournament play. Falcon was nearly unbeatable at W.T. “Dub” Robinson Stadium as she tallied a 29-1 home record in her career. She also finished with a 70-34 overall doubles mark.

 

LSU’s No. 24 ranking is the highest since the 2004 team finished 20th as the Lady Tigers earned 14 wins this season, including 11 against ranked opponents. LSU also beat Florida for the first time in school history and South Carolina for the third time en route to the top 25 finish.

 

NCAA Singles Tournament

May 22, 2009 at College Station, Texas (George P. Mitchell Tennis Center)

 

Round of 16

#24 Laura Vallverdu (Miami) def. #13 Megan Falcon (LSU) 3-6, 7-5, 6-0

 

Campbell/ITA College Tennis Rankings

1. Duke

2. Northwestern

3. Georgia

4. California

5. Notre Dame

6. Baylor

7. Miami

8. Georgia Tech

9. USC

10. Tennessee

11. Clemson

12. UCLA

13. Stanford

14. Florida

15. Arkansas

16. Fresno State

17. South Carolina

18. Michigan

19. Florida State

20. North Carolina

21. Ole Miss

22. Vanderbilt

23. SMU

24. LSU

25. Kentucky