Saturday, 05/12/2012

LSU Women’s Tennis Drops NCAA First Round Match to Texas A&M, 4-1

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The LSU women’s tennis team’s season came to an end at the hands of No. 19 Texas A&M 4-1, in the NCAA Tournament First Round on Friday at Michigan’s Varsity Tennis Center.

Ariel Morton continued her stellar late-season run as she won her third-straight singles match of the spring and her fifth win in the last six to give the Lady Tigers their only point.

LSU finished the season 11-13 overall while the Aggies improved to 19-5 heading into a second round matchup against either No. 15 national seed Michigan or University of Illinois-Chicago.

“We played really hard and we played well too,” LSU head coach Tony Minnis said. “I thought we were a little tight in doubles. It was most of the team’s first time in the tournament. I thought we looked nervous when we came out. In singles we played outstanding, winning three first sets and going to five three-setters. We were very competitive, so hats off to Texas A&M because they played well. Our team fought hard and left it all on the court.”

The Aggies kicked things off in doubles with two victories to claim the doubles point.

No. 29 Christina Sanchez-Quintanar and Wen Sun defeated LSU’s Keri Frankenberger and Wolf 8-2 on court one.

Morton and Olivia Howlett then fell to Nazari Urbina and Janelle Cuthbertson 8-3 giving Texas A&M the doubles point.

Lauren Santacroce and Sheri Olivier led LSU’s Ebie Wilson and Kaitlin Burns 7-2 when doubles ended and the focus shifted to singles.

Wolf got off to a good start on court one by taking the first set, but No.6 Sanchez-Quintanar took the next two sets to win 2-6, 6-3, 6-0.

No. 78 Sun then gave Texas A&M a 3-0 lead overall as she beat Kaitlin Burns 6-0, 6-3 on court three.

Morton kept LSU alive in the dual match as she battled back from dropping a first set tiebreaker to edge Olivier 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-2 on court six.

The Lady Tigers forced third sets on the three remaining courts.

Cuthbertson booked the Aggies place in the second round over Frankenberger 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-0 on court four.

Howlett won the first set 7-5 but dropped the second set 2-6, and was trailing 3-5 in the final stanza to No. 53 Urbina on court two when the action was called.

Wilson also took the first set 6-4 in her matchup with Santacroce on court five. Wilson lost the second set at love and was down 2-5 in the third when the match was abandoned.

For the latest updates and information follow the Lady Tigers on Twitter @LSUwten and at www.Facebook.com/lsuwten.

#19 Texas A&M 4, #43 LSU 1

Singles

1. No. 6 Christina Sanchez-Quintanar (Texas A&M) def. Whitney Wolf (LSU), 2-6, 6-3, 6-0

2. No. 53 Nazari Urbina (Texas A&M) vs. Olivia Howlett (LSU), 5-7, 6-2, 5-3 abandoned

3. No. 78 Wen Sun (Texas A&M) def. Kaitlin Burns (LSU), 6-0, 6-3

4. Janelle Cuthbertson (Texas A&M) def. Keri Frankenberger (LSU), 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-0

5. Lauren Santacroce (Texas A&M) vs. Ebie Wilson (LSU), 4-6, 6-0, 5-2 abandoned

6. Ariel Morton (LSU) def. Sheri Olivier (Texas A&M), 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-2

 

Doubles

1. No. 29 Sanchez-Quintanar/Sun (Texas A&M) def. Frankenberger/Wolf (LSU), 8-2

2. Urbina/Cuthbertson (Texas A&M) def. Howlett/Morton (LSU), 8-3

3. Santacroce/Olivier (Texas A&M) vs. Wilson/Burns (LSU), 7-2 abandoned

 

Order of Finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (1,3,6,4)