Kentucky Hosts No. 23 LSU in Conference Opener Saturday
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky women’s tennis team received votes in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings, as it prepares to meet its first ranked foe of the season to open the Southeastern Conference schedule. The Wildcats will host No. 23 LSU on Saturday, Feb. 20 at noon ET inside the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Center.
Admission to all home tennis matches is free, and fans are encouraged to attend. Capacity at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Center is limited to 50 spectators, and it will be based on a first come, first serve basis. Face coverings, over the nose and mouth, are required for all fans as they enter, exit and move around the building, and all patrons will be required to take a temperature check upon entry.
Free parking options include the three small E-lots adjacent to the facility 1.5 hours prior to first serve. Spectators may also pay to park in the Sports Center Garage (PS No. 7) on the corner of Complex Drive and Sport Center Drive. The cost of parking is $2 per hour, with a $16 maximum.
Live scoring will be available here.
Kentucky brings depth and experience to the court ahead of conference action, including four graduate students that all saw playing time during the nonconference schedule. Two of those graduate students are Lesedi Jacobs and Anastasia Tkachenko, the 57th-ranked doubles team in the nation. The tandem is just 1-0 this season after defeating Notre Dame, but the pair earned a spotless 4-0 record in conference action last season before it was cut short.
Finding success in both doubles and singles to kick start the year is Akvile Paražinskaite. The graduate student is 5-0 on the No. 1 doubles court paired, with Fiona Arrese, and 8-0 on the No. 1 singles court. Paražinskaite and Arrese carded their first ranked win of the season against Marshall, defeating the 30th-ranked doubles team in the nation in Jutte Von Hansewyck-Liz Stefancic, limiting them to just one game (6-1).
Carlota Molina has been a strong force on the No. 2 singles court all season, too, complimenting Paražinskaite’s efforts. The sophomore is 7-0 on the second court, producing eight sets this spring in which she limited her opponent to just three games or less.
Overall, Kentucky boasts a 16-0 record on the doubles courts and a 44-4 record on the singles courts thus far this season.
No. 23 LSU owns a 5-0 record and a 2-0 record on the road. The Tigers’ win column includes Rice, Southern, Tulane, TCU and SMU. LSU has a narrow win margin over Kentucky in the all-time series, 19-20.
For the latest on the Kentucky women’s tennis program, follow @UKWomensTennis on Twitter and on Instagram, on Facebook and on the web at UKathletics.com.
