The Gators have posted a dominant showing in their spring season, most recently riding a three-match winning streak.
Florida hoped to capitalize on that confidence and bring home another victory in its matchup against the Tigers but struggled against its first top 5 team of the season.
The No. 23 Florida Gators (7-2, 2-1 SEC) lost to the No. 4 LSU Tigers (8-3, 1-2 SEC) 4-0 Thursday evening at the LSU Tennis Complex.
Doubles play began rough for the Gators, battling a team that has secured the doubles point in seven matches across the season.
Florida’s duo of India Houghton and Lucie Pawlak was first to fall. Despite coming in on a high, with Houghton earning SEC player of the week and Pawlak SEC co-freshman of the week, the pair couldn’t hold out. The match ended in a clean 6-0 loss to LSU’s Alexia Marginean and Addison Lanton in less than half an hour.
The junior-freshman pair of Valery Gynina and Brooke Black suffered an unusual fate in their doubles match. Previously undefeated, the Gators couldn't clinch the victory this time against LSU’s Cadence Brace and Carolina Kuhl, losing 6-4.
The final doubles match was retired since LSU secured the doubles point. The No. 19 pair of Xinyi Nong and Nikola Daubnerova led No. 9 Kayla Cross and Ella McDonald 5-4.
The Gators tried to take control of the matchup in singles, but again, the Tigers put up too strong a fight.
Pawlak carried much momentum from last week after winning the decisive game for the victory against Oklahoma. However, the Gator suffered a tough 6-0, 6-2 loss, awarding LSU its first singles point.
Houghton’s match proved equally as difficult. The California native fell 6-2, 6-1 to No. 52 Cadence Brace, just days after the Gator had entered the ITA rankings in the No. 103 spot.
Following suit with the rest of her team, No. 26 Gabia Paskauskas lost to LSU’s Ella McDonald 6-2, 6-3, giving the Tigers their match-ending 4-0 lead.
With the rest of the matches retired, Black was the only Gator who seemed to have had a chance. She held the advantage over Kuhl, going 6-4, 4-2. The Gator freshman proved why she carries a five-game winning streak, but didn’t have the opportunity to close it out with the swift LSU victory.
The loss to LSU marks the second SEC defeat for the Gators, taking their conference record to 2-2.
Florida will continue its road stretch against Ole Miss on Saturday at 2 p.m. in Oxford, Mississippi.
Contact Sofia Alamo at salamo@alligator.org. Follow her on X @alamosofiaa.
Sofia Alamo is a Sports Journalism freshman at UF and the university’s Women’s Tennis beat reporter. Her favorite sports are soccer and tennis, and she aspires to be a sports broadcaster in the future.
