Freshman Kayla Cross delivered a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 come-from-behind win on Court No. 2 to send No. 13 LSU Women’s Tennis to the NCAA Super Regional for the first time in 25 years, clinching a 4-1 victory over No. 18 USC on Saturday afternoon at the LSU Tennis Complex.
LSU improves to 23-7 overall and advances to the NCAA Super Regionals for the third time in program history (1995, 2000). The Tigers now sit one win behind the 1978 team (24-7) for tying the best record in program history. USC finishes its season with a 17-8 record.
“I am incredibly happy for our group with their performance today,” said Head Coach Taylor Fogleman. “We certainly came out of the gates well in the doubles. USC challenged us in the singles, but I was incredibly pleased with our resilience and grit on the courts. I am proud of the girls for finding a way to get the result, and we will need more of that as we continue in this tournament. We couldn’t be more thankful for the support from our fans. They certainly made a massive difference in the contest.
When looking ahead and reflecting on the historic result, he added, “As I told the girls, they seem to be in the habit of doing some things for the first time in the history of the program. Though what they accomplished certainly isn’t that, it hasn’t been done in 25 years. So, I want them to enjoy this moment for a night, and then we certainly need to turn our attention to getting back to work to play one of the best teams in the country in Ohio State towards the end of next week.”
Kinaa Graham and Anita Sahdiieva opened the dual match on the No. 2 spot against Jana Hossam and Sloane Morra. The LSU pair opened the lone set trailing 1-0 before surging ahead for a 4-1 advantage. Despite Hossam and Morra stealing a game, Graham and Sahdiieva closed the set with a 6-2 victory. As a result, the LSU pairing improved to 3-0 in the season.
The All-SEC and All-Freshman team pairing of No. 5 Cadence Brace and Cross were next for LSU as the Canadian duo challenged No. 12 Lily Fairclough and Grace Piper on the top spot. In a back-and-forth affair that saw three consecutive ties, Brace and Cross captured the final three games to post a 6-3 set win to award LSU the doubles point.
With the doubles point in tow, Tilwith Di Girolami took on Fairclough on the No. 3 court to begin singles play. The freshman fell behind 2-1 in the opening set before jumping ahead 3-2. However, Fairclough would jump ahead for a 5-3 advantage. Facing the threat of defeat, Di Girolami strung together four consecutive games to earn a 7-5 set win. The Belgian native would carry that momentum in the second set, only dropping one game en route to a 6-1 set win, giving LSU a 2-0 match lead. Di Girolami now holds 18 wins on the season.
Looking to extend LSU’s lead, No. 11 Brace took on her doubles opponent, No. 50 Piper, in the top spot. The freshman took a quick 2-0 lead before Piper stole a game in the opening set. Afterward, Brace would take the final four of five games to win the set 6-2. Piper would take a 2-1 lead over Brace in the second set before the Canadian native secured five straight games to earn a 6-2 set result to win the match and increase LSU’s advantage to 3-0.
Graham was next up on the No. 5 court as she took on Simone Kay. After building a 3-1 lead in the opening set, Graham fell behind 5-3 before battling back to even the set at 5-5. However, Kay responded with two straight games to take the set, 7-5. In the following set, Graham took a 2-0 lead before Kay battled back to take five straight games and later win the set 6-3 to give USC their first point in the match.
Needing to deny USC’s rally, No. 49 Cross was in a battle on the second court against No. 81 Emma Charney. After opening the first set with a 1-1 tie, Charney jumped ahead for a 5-1 advantage. Cross would attempt to rally but ultimately lost the set 6-3. In a competitive second set, Cross held narrow leads at 2-1, 3-2, and 4-3 before Charney tied the set at 4-4. Despite Charney’s push, Cross took the final two games to win the set 6-4. The final set saw three ties and lead changes before Cross took a 5-3 advantage. Charney would steal a game, but the freshman would close the set with a 6-4 result to clinch the match win for the Tigers.
For more information on the LSU Women’s Tennis program, follow the Tigers on X @lsuwten, Instagram @LSUWTen, and Facebook.com/lsuwten.
LSU vs. USC
May 3, 2025
LSU Tennis Center
No. 13 LSU 4, No. 18 USC 1
Singles
1. #11 Cadence Brace (LSU) def. #50 Grace Piper (USC) 6-2, 6-2
2. #49 Kayla Cross (LSU) def. #81 Emma Charney (USC) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
3. Tilwith Di Girolami (LSU) def. Lily Fairclough (USC) 7-5, 6-1
4. Anita Sahdiieva (LSU) vs. Jana Hossam (USC) 5-7, 6-3, 2-4, DNF
5. Simone Kay (USC) def. Kinaa Graham (LSU) 7-5, 6-3
6. Kenna Erickson (LSU) vs. Parker Fry (USC) 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 2-1, DNF
Doubles
1. #5 Cadence Brace/Kayla Cross (LSU) def. #12 Lily Fairclough/Grace Piper (USC) 6-3
2. Kinaa Graham/Anita Sahdiieva (LSU) def. Jana Hossam/Sloane Morra (USC) 6-2
3. Tilwith Di Girolami/Kenna Erickson (LSU) vs. Emma Charney/Parker Fry (USC) 2-5, DNF
Match Notes:
LSU 23-7; National ranking #13
USC 17-8; National ranking #18
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (3,1,5,2)
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