LAFAYETTE – For the first time since 1986, and powered by senior Arthur Libaud’s strong day, Louisiana Men’s Tennis (21-8, 3-3 SBC) recorded its 21st win of the season, taking down the Troy Trojans (16-6, 1-5, SBC) in dominating fashion, 4-0, in a Sun Belt Conference match on Senior Day at Cajun Courts.

The 21 wins are the most recorded in a single season since Louisiana finished 21-9 in 1986 and it is only the second time in 32 years, the other being in 2014, where Louisiana has finished with at least 20 wins in a season.  This was also the second time this season that Louisiana has beaten Troy, with the Ragin’ Cajuns having taken down the Trojans, 4-1, in the championship match at the 53rd Annual HEB Tournament of Champions back on Feb. 23. 

Libaud earned himself a win at No. 4 singles, while junior Elio Lago clinched the match with a big win at No. 3 singles.  Junior Pearse Dolan added a win in singles himself and in doubles Lago and junior Jamie Fraser along with the freshman pairing of Jan Galka and Kacper Dworak collected wins in a strong showing for Louisiana.  

HOW IT HAPPENED (Doubles): Louisiana’s impressive performance began in doubles, with the Ragin’ Cajuns getting wins at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles to lock up the point.  The first domino to fall was at No. 2, with Galka and Dworak taking down the Troy pairing of Oskar Michalek and Pelayo Antuna, 6-1.

At No. 3, Lago and Fraser locked up the doubles point with a solid 6-3 win over the Troy duo of Manuel Bernard and Jiaqi Duan.  The pair of wins by Louisiana meant that the Ragin’ Cajuns took a 1-0 lead into singles for 20th time this season.

HOW IT HAPPENED (Singles): In fitting fashion, the first point Louisiana earned in singles came from Libaud, who’s dominating straight set win, 6-3, 6-2, over Duan continued the tone that Louisiana had set during the doubles point.  At No. 2, Dolan cruised through Michalek, taking the Trojan down in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2, to put Louisiana in front 3-0 and on the brink of victory.

Louisiana then locked up the match at No. 3, when Lago knocked off Bernard in straight sets, 6-0, 6-3, to give Louisiana the big Senior Day win, 4-0, over Troy.

UP NEXT FOR THE CAJUNS: Louisiana will play its final match of the 2019 regular season with a visit to the UT Arlington Mavericks on Saturday, April 13.  The Sun Belt Conference Championships will then begin on Friday, April 19 in Peachtree City, Ga.

FOLLOWING THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS: Follow the Ragin’ Cajuns on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@RaginCajunsMT) to stay up-to-date with Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Men’s Tennis.

Women’s Tennis
Louisiana Drops SBC Match At South Alabama

MOBILE, Ala. – After its match at Troy was rained out on Saturday, April 6, Louisiana Women’s Tennis (6-12, 1-6 SBC) wrapped up the weekend with a 5-0 loss to the South Alabama Jaguars (18-3, 7-1 SBC) Sunday morning at the Bruce David Lubel Memorial Tennis Courts.

HOW IT HAPPENED (Doubles): Louisiana began the match in a 1-0 hole, after dropping the doubles point.  The Jaguars first got a win at No. 3 doubles, when the South Alabama duo of Yurie Takanishi and Nikola Kohoutova defeated sophomore Floriane Picaut and freshman AK Harvey, 6-2.

At No. 2 doubles, South Alabama locked up the point with a 6-2 win by Alexandria Stiteler and Patricia Martins over the freshmen pairing of Ai Noa Fabre and Hoda Habib.  The pair of wins gave South Alabama the 1-0 lead heading into singles.

HOW IT HAPPENED (Singles): South Alabama would win all four singles matches completed, starting with a straight set win at No. 3, when Habib fell to Kohoutova, 6-0, 6-1.  At No. 6, Louisiana freshman Morgan Forshag lost in straight sets to Diana Monsalve, 7-5, 6-0, to put South Alabama one win away from clniching the match.

The Jaguars clinched the match at No. 2, when despite putting up a fight and winning the first set, sophomore Dana Radovanovic lost in three sets to Yu Fujioka, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0, to lock up the win for South Alabama.  Shortly after the match at No. 2, Fabre’s match at No. 4 wrapped up, with the Louisiana freshman nearly coming back after dropping the first set to Milka Pasanen, but falling in a three-set battle, 6-3, 2-6, 6-1, to put the final score at 5-0 in favor of South Alabama.

UP NEXT FOR THE CAJUNS: Louisiana remains on the road with a midweek trip to Monroe, La., to face the ULM Warhawks on Wednesday, April 10.  The Ragin’ Cajuns then wrap up the 2019 season with a visit to Jonesboro, Ark., to face the Arkansas State Red Wolves on Sunday, April 14.

FOLLOWING THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS: Follow the Ragin’ Cajuns on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@RaginCajunsWT) to stay up-to-date with Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Women’s Tennis.

– #GEAUXCAJUNS