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No. 7 Women’s Tennis tops No. 10 LSU, 4-2
03.27.2026 | Women's Tennis
The Longhorns produced four straight-sets singles wins to earn the top-10 road victory on Friday for their eighth win in their last nine matches.
Baton Rouge, La. – No. 7 Texas Women's Tennis topped No. 10 LSU, 4-2, on Friday at the LSU Tennis Complex in Baton Rouge. The Longhorns rebounded with the top-10 victory for their eighth win in their last nine matches after having just put together a seven-match winning streak that came to an end in their last contest.
Although LSU took the doubles point with wins at Nos. 3 and 2 that surrounded a Texas win at No. 1, the Longhorns responded with singles victories by freshmen No. 12 Anastasia Abbagnato at No. 2 and Elizabeth Ionescu at No. 5 for a 2-1 overall lead. The Tigers evened it with a win at No. 4, but Texas produced wins by sophomore No. 1 Carmen Herea at No. 1, and freshman Mathilde Ngijol-Carré at No. 6 for the clinch.
After doubles, Abbagnato was first off the singles court with a decisive 6-0, 6-3 victory over No. 45 Kayla Cross at No. 2 to even the overall match. Ionescu added another impressive outcome with a 6-1, 6-3 over Carolina Kuhl at No. 5 for the lead.
Although LSU tied it again as freshman Christasha McNeil was downed by Addison Lanton, 6-2, 6-4, at No. 4, Herea gave Texas the lead for good with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over No. 58 Cadence Brace. Ngijol-Carré had match points earlier in her second set, but still came through with the clinch with a tiebreaker, 6-2, 7-6 (6), over No. 104 Kinaa Graham at No. 6. That left one match unfinished where sophomore No. 71 Eszter Meri was in her third set against No. 88 Ella McDonald and had just fallen slightly behind, 6-3, 4-6, 0-2, when play stopped.
Earlier in doubles, LSU had gotten off the court first as Herea and Ngijol-Carré were defeated by Lanton and Alexia Marginean, 6-1, at No. 3. Texas evened doubles with a 6-2 victory by the No. 53 duo of Abbagnato and sophomore Salma Drugdova over Brace and Cross at No. 1. That left it to No. 2, however the No. 71 pair of Ionescu and McNeil came up just short against No. 67 McDonald and Kenna Erikson, 6-4, after having a late break chance that the Tigers held off.
The Longhorns (13-4, 8-2 SEC) continue on the road to face No. 41 Ole Miss in Oxford on Sunday, March 29, at 1 p.m. CT.
#7 Texas 4, #10 LSU 2
Singles – Order of Finish (2,5,4,1,6)
1. #1 Carmen Herea (TEX) def. #58 Cadence Brace (LSU) 6-1, 6-4
2. #12 Anastasia Abbagnato (TEX) def. #45 Kayla Cross (LSU) 6-0, 6-3
3. #88 Ella McDonald (LSU) vs. #71 Eszter Meri (TEX) 3-6, 6-4, 2-0, unf.
4. Addison Lanton (LSU) def. Christasha McNeil (TEX) 6-2, 6-4
5. Elizabeth Ionescu (TEX) def. Carolina Kuhl (LSU) 6-1, 6-3
6. Mathilde Ngijol-Carré (TEX) def. #104 Kinaa Graham (LSU) 6-2, 7-6 (6)
Doubles – Order of Finish (3,1,2)
1. #53 Anastasia Abbagnato/Salma Drugdova (TEX) def. Cadence Brace/Kayla Cross (LSU) 6-2
2. #67 Kenna Erickson/Ella McDonald (LSU) def. #71 Elizabeth Ionescu/Christasha McNeil (TEX) 6-4
3. Addison Lanton/Alexia Marginean (LSU) def. Carmen Herea/Mathilde Ngijol-Carré (TEX) 6-1
Individual Match Key Moments
(by order of finish)
Doubles No. 3: Lanton/Marginean (LSU) def. Herea/Ngijol-Carré (TEX) 6-1
Match: LSU held on a deuce point to start a 3-0 run and then closed 3-0 capped by another deuce-point hold.
Doubles No. 1: Drugdova/Abbagnato (TEX) def. Brace/Cross (LSU), 6-2
Match: Texas won consecutive deuce points for a hold and a break to start a 3-0 run. The Longhorns broke again for 5-1, and although LSU broke back, Texas finished with a deuce-point break.
Doubles No. 2: Erickson/McDonald (LSU) def. Ionescu/McNeil (TEX) 6-4
Match: LSU picked up the only break of the match for a 3-2 lead. Texas had a deuce-point break chance later but the Tigers held for 5-3.
Singles No. 2: Abbagnato (TEX) def. Cross (LSU) 6-0, 6-3
Set One: Abbagnato swept the first set capped by consecutive deuce points for a hold for 5-0 and a break for the set.
Set Two: Abbagnato deuce-point holds for 2-1 and 3-2 and then earned the only break of the set for 4-2.
Singles No. 5: Ionescu (TEX) def. Kuhl (LSU) 6-1, 6-3
Set One: Ionescu broke at deuce for 2-1, and although Kul broke back, Ionescu closed 4-0 with deuce points for 4-1 and 5-1.
Set Two: After the players started with deuce point holds, Ionescu broke for a 3-2 lead and later secured the only other break for the set on a deuce point.
Singles No. 4: Lanton (LSU) def. McNeil (TEX) 6-2, 6-4
Set One: Lanton opened 4-0, and although McNeil got back to 4-2, Lanton finished the set 6-2.
Set Two: McNeil started on a 3-0 run, but Lanton answered it. McNeil then held for 4-3 on a deuce point, but Lanton went on a 3-0 run that finished with consecutive deuce points.
Singles No. 1: Herea (TEX) def. Brace (LSU) 6-1, 6-4
Set One: Brace held to open the match, but Herea swept the rest of the first set with deuce points for 2-1 and 3-1.
Set Two: After the players started with deuce point holds, Brace later broke at deuce for a 3-2 lead, but Herea broke back at deuce. Herea later got the next break for the set.
Singles No. 6: Ngijol-Carré (TEX) def. Graham (LSU) 6-2, 7-6 (6)
Set One: Ngijol-Carré took leads of 3-0 and 5-1. Graham broke for 5-2, but Ngijol-Carré broke again for the set.
Set Two: Graham broke for 2-1 and held for 3-1. Ngijol-Carré got the break back for 3-3, which was the first of three-straight until Ngijol-Carré held for a 5-4 lead. She had a match point in the next game, but Graham held at deuce and then broke for her own 6-5 lead. However Ngijol-Carré broke back to go to a tiebreaker.
Set Two Tiebreaker: Ngijol-Carré won the first two points and also led, 3-1. The players exchanged 2-0 runs to 5-5 and then single points for 6-6 until Ngijol-Carré claimed the last two points to clinch.
Singles No. 3: McDonald (LSU) vs. Meri (TEX) 3-6, 6-4, 2-0, unf.
Set One: Meri earned the only break for a 3-1 lead.
Set Two: Meri got out to a 3-0 lead with two breaks. McDonald got one back and then held at deuce. After Meri held for a 4-2 lead, McDonald finished the set, 4-0 with two more deuce-point holds.
Set Three: McDonald held at deuce and broke when play stopped.
Players Mentioned
