University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Northwestern State
@RaginCajunsWT Hits The Road For A Trio Of Weekend Matches
2/1/2019 10:59:00 AM | Women's Tennis
LAFAYETTE – For the first time in the 2019 season, Louisiana Women's Tennis (3-1) will hit the road with a trio of weekend matches against in-state foes, starting with Northwestern State (0-1) on Saturday, Feb. 2 at noon and the Ragin' Cajuns will wrap up the weekend with a visit to Ruston, La., where Louisiana will face Louisiana Tech (1-2) on Sunday, Feb. 3, with that match scheduled to begin at 11 a.m and Grambling (0-2) at 3 p.m.
UNDEFATED STARTS: Louisiana has a handful of women who have gotten off to great starts over the first four matches, starting with junior Clara Mantaux, playing primarily at No. 4 singles, who has gone 3-0 in singles and 3-0 in doubles to start 6-0 overall. The wins have not come easy for Mantaux, who has had a comeback three-set win (4-6, 6-2, 11-9, vs. Jackson State) and a hard-fought straight set win over McNeese State's Sofia Moreno, 7-6(4), 6-2, to highlight Mantaux's solid start to 2019.
Also impressing, starting undefeated in singles much like Mantaux, is freshman Ai Noa Fabre, who has gone 3-0 in singles and 2-1 in doubles to get her collegiate dual match career off to a 5-1 start. Fabre's best win came against Incarnate Word on Jan. 26, when she stormed back after dropping the first set against Alejandra Tamayo, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, for her latest win.
ROUNDING OUT LOUISIANA'S WINS: Although not off to undefeated starts, Louisiana has still been impressive from top to bottom in the lineup, and leading the way has been sophomore Floriane Picaut, who has played primarily at No. 1 singles, has started 3-1 in singles and 2-1 in doubles to start 5-2 overall. Joining Picaut is junior Marina Rodriguez Garcia, who has gone 3-1 in singles and 3-1 in doubles going 6-2 overall.
WHAT THE LADY DEMONS BRING: Northwestern State has started the season 0-1, having dropped its lone dual match of the spring, 4-3, at Tulane on Friday, Jan. 18. Saturday's match will be the home opener for the Lady Demons, and it will kick start a three-match homestand for Northwestern State.
Since the 2003 season, Louisiana and Northwestern State has faced off 14 times, splitting the series right down the middle 7-7. Louisiana won the last meeting, 4-3, a match that was played at Cajun Courts on Jan. 31, 2018.
WHAT THE LADY TECHSTERS: Louisiana Tech enters the match having won its previous, and first, match of the season in a 5-1 victory over Oral Roberts on Sunday, Jan. 13. The match against Oral Roberts was the last of three matches the Lady Techsters played in Tulsa, Okla., at the Hurricane Invite.
During the weekend, Louisiana Tech lost to No. 22 Tulsa (0-7) and Wyoming (0-7) before beating Oral Roberts and Sunday's match will be the home opener for Louisiana Tech. Since 2003, Louisiana and Louisiana Tech have faced off nine times, with Louisiana holding a 6-3 advantage, but the Lady Techsters have won the previous two matches between the two programs, including last season's matchup at Cajun Courts (4-3) on Feb. 4, 2018.
WHAT THE TIGERS BRING: Grambling enters the weekend having lost its first two matches at South Alabama on Jan. 26, losing both matches 7-0, 7-0. Since 2008 Louisiana and Grambling have played each other three times, with Louisiana leading the series 3-0 and the Ragin' Cajuns won the previous match 4-0, on Mar. 11, 2017 at Cajun Courts.
FOLLOWING THE RAGIN' CAJUNS:Â Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@RaginCajunsWT) to stay up-to-date with Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Women's Tennis.
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