The UK Women’s Tennis team came up just one point short of moving on to the third round of the SEC Tournament, as the Cats were defeated by the No. 8-seed LSU Tigers on Thursday afternoon.

Despite the loss, the Cats came out strong in doubles play. UK took victory on the first two courts to finish, clinching the first point of the match. On court 2, UK senior Nadia Ravita and teammate Justina Mikulskytė defeated Tiger pairing Joana Vale Costa and Ella Taylor 6-2.

Taking the doubles point on court three was UK squad and No. 53 Akvilė Paražinskaitė/Morgan Chumney as they took down Skylar Holloway and Skylar Kuykendall 6-3.

LSU was the first victor of singles play, winning court six by a deciding score of 6-0, 6-2. Taylor defeated Morgan Chumney to tie the match at 1-1. UK then took back the lead with a win on court three. Cat Mami Adachi cruised past Ryann Foster of LSU 6-2, 6-3.

Taking a convincing 3-1 lead for the Cats was their star and No. 35 Sutjiadi as she took down LSU stud and No. 22 Vale Costa 6-4, 6-4.

Unfortunately for the Cats, their two-point lead would be erased with losses on the 4^th and 5^th courts.

On court 4, Kuykendall defeated Paražinskaitė 6-2, 6-3 to pull within one. Tying the score at 3-3 was Tiger Abigail Owens as she grinded past senior Kirsten Lewis 6-4, 7-6 (8).

The bid to the 3^rd round of the SEC Tournament was on the line as UK’s Mikulskytė and No. 59 Jessica Golovin showed down on court two. Taking the 1^st set in dominant fashion was Mikulskytė with a 6-1 victory. However, LSU’s Golovin bounced back to take the 2^nd set 6-4. In the deciding set, it was Golovin again who prevailed as she defeated Mikulskytė and the Cats with a score of 6-4.

Now eliminated from the SEC Tournament, UK will stand by as it waits to hear of its NCAA Championship seeding.