RUSTON – Marla Watson recorded 22 singles wins way back in the spring of 1982.
That mark would stand the test of time. That was until Sunday when won both of her singles matches to reach 23 for the season, breaking the 43-year-old record while helping Louisiana Tech secure victories over UTEP and Grambling State at the LA Tech Tennis Complex.
LA Tech (17-8, 5-0 CUSA) capped off the regular season, going undefeated against Conference USA competition with a 4-1 win against UTEP (9-8, 1-5 CUSA). That was then followed by a 6-0 shutout over Grambling State (2-15), giving the Bulldogs a 12-1 mark at home for 2025.
MATCH ONE After a slow start to doubles, the 'Dogs ended up grabbing the opening point with some strong finishes. The duo of and were tied 2-all against Vale Carreno Torres and Carlotta Mencaglia at the No. 2 position, but the Bulldogs got the upper hand by claiming three straight games to ultimately won 6-3.
Meanwhile at the No. 1 spot, the LA Tech tandem of and were down 2-4 to UTEP's duo of DeCora Antoine and Hanna Telzynska. The Bulldog pairing would kick things into another gear, rattling off four straight games to win 6-4.
Epps needed just one hour to give LA Tech a 2-0 advantage as the sophomore breezed to a 6-2, 6-1 victory against Telzynska on court two, tallying singles win No. 22 to tie Watson's record.
Her court neighbor, , gave the 'Dogs a commanding 3-0 lead after taking care of Paloma Hennicaux 6-2, 6-0 at the No. 4 position for her fifth consecutive victory.
Finishing things off on the back bank was who cruised to a 6-0, 6-3 win over Wendy Zhang at No. 6 to clinch the match. Seconds later, the Miners posted their lone point of the match compliments of Torres who won in straight sets at the No. 5 position.
MATCH TWO For the second time in three days, LA Tech shutout crosstown foe GSU. Coupled with a default by the Lady Tigers at No. 3 in doubles, the Bulldogs claimed wins of 6-2 and 6-0 on courts one and two to open the match with a 1-0 lead.
The 'Dogs would then win handily on all five singles courts. and Brook were both up a set when their opponents retired due to injuries. The clinching fourth point was then provided by Epps who won 6-0, 6-0 against Claire Machisa to claim the program record with her 23rd victory.
Tsironi and Vigneron capped off the day with victories of 6-1, 6-0 and 6-2, 6-3, respectively, on courts two and four.
QUOTABLES Head coach Amy Sargeant
"It was a great day to be a Bulldog and an even better way to close out the regular season with another conference win. Our team has put in a tremendous amount of effort and hard work on our pursuit to being the best version of ourselves. We are physically and mentally ready for the week ahead and I believe we are in a position to make a run at the conference tournament."
NOTABLES
UP NEXT LA Tech will head to Lynchburg, Virginia to take part in the 2025 Conference USA Women's Tennis Championship hosted by Liberty University. The event takes place April 16-19 with the official bracket set to be released on Monday.
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