1976 Lady Tigers: Inaugural Season
Illustrious TENNIS HISTORY In the fall of 1973 the Lady Tigers’ tennis team was formed as a club sport with Pat Newman as head coach and Jay McCreary as the Coordinator of Club Sports. The fledgling program began with eight players who bought their own racquets and balls. It has since developed into a national collegiate tennis power over the decades. From the early days of limited schedules and funding, the LSU program has come a long way, becoming a dominant tennis power in the state of Louisiana and making its presence known regionally and nationally. In 1975, the Lady Tigers signed their first collegiate player to an athletic scholarship for the following season, acquiring Ann Ellis from Houston. Next was Karen McCarter, a walk-on from a big tennis family in Shreveport, La. The following year, Kay McDaniel, another Shreveport product, and Elizabeth Palfrey of Baton Rouge joined the Lady Tiger family, and LSU was on its way to becoming a national power, finishing in the top 20 in the nation for the first time. The Lady Tigers experienced an outstanding recruiting season in 1976-77, signing the No. 1-ranked player in the South in Ebie Taylor of Mobile, Ala. From Texas came two outstanding players in Lisa Boettcher of Pasadena and Carol Reger of Fort Worth. With those players, LSU won the state championship, placed in the top 10 at nationals and produced the first Lady Tiger All-Americans in tennis, Kay McDaniel and Ebie Taylor. The program has continued to flourish, finishing in the top 30 of the final national rankings 11 times since 1991.
INTRO
ONLY ONE LSU
PREVIEW
COACHES
2001 SEC Player of the Year Bruna Colosio
LADY TIGERS
REVIEW
HISTORY
2011 LSU WOMEN’S TENNIS
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