SAN DIEGO – The UC Santa Barbara Women's Tennis team fell short in their season opener, suffering a 6-1 defeat to LSU at the Hogan Tennis Center on Saturday.

THE MATCH
Final: UC Santa Barbara 1, LSU 6
Records: UC Santa Barbara 0-1, LSU 2-0

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Gauchos started strong in doubles but were unable to secure the early point. In the first position, Amelia Honer and Anna Weissheim battled hard against LSU's Cadence Brace and Kayla Cross, but the match was left unfinished with LSU leading 5-3. In the No. 2 doubles match, Lucy Lu and Ali Benedetto were defeated 6-2 by LSU's Tilwith Di Girolami and Anita Sahdiieva. The final doubles point was claimed by LSU's Kenna Erickson and Gaby Rivera, who triumphed 6-2 over Raphaelle Leroux and Lily Pradkin in the No. 3 spot.

In singles play, UC Santa Barbara struggled to match LSU's performances. The lone victory for the Gauchos came in the top singles spot, where Amelia Honer fought off Cadence Brace in a hard-fought 6-4, 4-6, 10-3 win.

Despite strong efforts across the board, the Gauchos faced defeats in the remaining singles matches. Anna Weissheim fell 7-5, 6-2 to Kayla Cross in No. 2, while Tyra Richardson was beaten 6-4, 6-3 by LSU's Tilwith Di Girolami in No. 3. In the fourth position, Ali Benedetto was edged out 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) by Anita Sahdiieva, and Raphaelle Leroux lost 6-3, 6-3 to LSU's Gaby Rivera in the fifth position. Finally, Emma Tutoveanu came close, falling 6-4, 6-5 to Kenna Erickson in No. 6 singles.

RESULTS
Doubles
1. #9 Amelia Honer/Anna Weissheim (UCSB) vs. Cadence Brace/Kayla Cross (LSU) 3-5, unfinished
2. Tilwith Di Girolami/Anita Sahdiieva (LSU) def. Lucy Lu/Ali Benedetto (UCSB) 6-2
3. Kenna Erickson/Gaby Rivera (LSU) def. Raphaelle Leroux/Lily Pradkin (UCSB) 6-2
Order of finish: 3, 2

Singles
1. #16 Amelia Honer (UCSB) def. Cadence Brace (LSU) 6-4, 4-6, 10-3
2. Kayla Cross (LSU) def. Anna Weissheim (UCSB) 7-5, 6-2
3. Tilwith Di Girolami (LSU) def. Tyra Richardson (UCSB) 6-4, 6-3
4. #125 Anita Sahdiieva (LSU) def. Ali Benedetto (UCSB) 6-3, 7-6 (7-2)
5. #120 Gaby Rivera (LSU) def. Raphaelle Leroux (UCSB) 6-3, 6-3
6. Kenna Erickson (LSU) def. Emma Tutoveanu (UCSB) 6-4, 6-5
Order of finish: 2, 3, 5, 6, 4, 1

UP NEXT
The Gauchos look to bounce back in their next match against the University of San Diego that will take place tomorrow, Jan. 19 at 12 p.m.