NEW ORLEANS – The Lewis-Clark State Women’s Tennis team will participate in its first Red River Athletic Conference Tournament starting with an opening round contest with LSU Shreveport (La.) at 11 a.m. on Thursday.
The Warriors and Pilots met earlier this season at the LSU Alexandria Invitational. LC State won that Feb. 24 contest 4-0. LSU Shreveport was short a player and had to forfeit a singles and doubles match.
LC State finished the previous trip to Louisiana with a 3-2 record and finished the regular season 12-12.
Yelena Kim has been a staple in the No. 1 singles position for the Warriors all season long. The freshman is 11-8 on the season but was trailing against Angela Basto of LSUS when the match was called off due to LC State earning enough points for the victory.
Lina Boylan found the most success of the season at the No. 2 singles position where she went 6-6. The sophomore led her contest with Sophia de Michele in the Feb. 24 meeting in the third set before play was called.
Catherine Khardina will represent the Warriors in the No. 3 singles position. Khardina earned three of her five victories in this role for LC State. The sophomore from Vladivostok, Russia dropped only two games in a victory over Carmen Perez of LSUS.
The bottom three in the singles order are clear examples of how deep the Warrior team is. Heidi Moyo (No. 4 singles), Alexis Maison (No. 5) and Maria Eduarda Santos da Silva (No. 6) combined for a 24-12 record.
In doubles competition the Warriors had to shake up the top pairing just before traveling to Louisiana. The move could be seen as worrisome for some teams, but LC State has prepared for it all year long. The Warriors have used 38 different pairings in doubles with only one pair teaming up more than four times all season.
Kim will team with Boylan in No. 1 doubles; the pair went 1-1 on the year. Maison and Silva will team up in No. 3 doubles in a pairing that is undefeated at 1-0 on the season.
The most experienced pair traveling down south is at the No. 2 doubles spot. Khardina and Moyo went 2-2 on the season, 2-1 in the No. 2 position.
