RUSTON – Louisiana Tech returns to its home courts on Friday to face off against Tarleton State.  Two Bulldogs – Mio Kozaki and Diana Starodubtseva – will be honored as part of Senior Day.
 
MATCH INFORMATION
Date/Time: Friday, April 3 | 10 a.m. CT
Location: LA Tech Tennis Complex
Live Video: LATechSports.com/TennisStream
Live Stats: LATechSports.com/TennisStats
Promotion: Senior Day (ceremony after the match)
 
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (13-3)
LA Tech got back into the win column this past Saturday with a 4-1 victory over Texas State.  The Bulldogs won the doubles point in convincing fashion and then paired that up with straight set wins in singles on courts one, four, and five.
 
It was the Bulldogs seventh straight win against the Bobcats and their 11th consecutive home victory, tied for the longest streak in program history.
 
With the three singles wins, LA Tech improved its overall singles record this spring to 53-25.  Over their last 11 matches (a stretch that has produced 10 wins), the Bulldogs are a combined 39-12 in dual singles. 
 
Zoie Epps continues to anchor the 'Dogs in singles with a 13-1 mark at the top position.  The junior has dropped only two sets all season.  The win over Texas State was career dual singles victory No. 49, which is tied for the sixth longest streak in program history.
 
Both Maria Tsironi and June Vigneron claimed their eighth singles wins following straight set victories against Texas State.  Tsironi provided the clinching point at the No. 4 position while Vigneron claimed the first singles point from the No. 5 spot.
 
As a team, LA Tech is 25-12 in dual doubles.  Vigneron was also part of a tandem with Diana Starodubtseva that won 6-3 versus the Bobcats.  The newly formed duo is 4-1 on court three.  Meanwhile, the pairing of Epps and Isabella Walker won their eighth dual doubles match.  They remained in the ITA national doubles rankings for a sixth consecutive week, checking in at No. 77.
 
ABOUT TARLETON STATE (14-5)
Tarleton State extended its winning streak to six matches this past Wednesday with a 7-0 win at Tyler Junior College.  During their streak, the Texans have lost just two points.  Since dropping the first two matches of the spring, they have won 14 of their last 17 matches.
 
In dual singles, Tarleton State is a combined 77-21.  Four different Texans have double-digit victories, led by Aya Ishii who is 15-2 while playing primarily at the No. 2 position.  Maria Castano, the reigning WAC Singles Player of the Week, plays at No. 1 and is 8-3 this spring.
 
Meanwhile, the Texans are just as stout in dual doubles where they own a combined record of 37-12.  They have won 14 of 19 doubles points this season, including each of the last eight matches.  The tandem of Ishii and Marissa Minetti, who have won WAC Doubles Team of the Week four times, are 13-3 together, including a perfect 9-0 mark at the No. 1 spot.  
 
THE SERIES
This will mark the fifth consecutive season that LA Tech and Tarleton State face off on the courts.  They have split their four meetings with each winning twice.  The Bulldogs won the first two matchups, but the Texans have claimed the last two including a 4-1 win in Stephenville last season.
 
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