Box Score DENTON, Texas ? Freshman Monica Winkel powered through a third-set and the ULM tennis team avenged a regular season loss at the hands of Louisiana-Lafayette with a 4-2 victory in the opening round of the Sun Belt Conference tournament in Denton, Texas, on Saturday evening.
After a lengthy rain delay that pushed the match scheduled for 8 a.m. to a 4:30 p.m. start, ULM (9-9) was able to outlast the Ragin' Cajuns in match that went to the wire. A marathon from the start, the match lasted a total of four hours and 20 minutes before the match had been decided.
Winkel and sophomore Ana Burjaili were able to prevail in their respective third sets to give the Warhawks their final two points on the day and their first tournament victory since joining the Sun Belt Conference.
“I'm very proud of the way our girls came out and performed today,” ULM head coach Terrence De Jongh said. “With the long delay from the rain, they just stayed focused and came to the courts ready to go. We played with a high intensity today and knew that we could win.”
After being the beneficiary of a forfeit at number three doubles, the Warhawks fell behind in the early team race by losing both the top tandem slots.
ULM would even the match at 1-1 when senior Sharon Makhanya stormed past Mia Gordon at number four singles, 6-0, 6-3.
Louisiana-Lafayette (8-9) would go back ahead with a straight-set victory at number one singles.
ULM knotted the score one last time with a win at number six singles and pushed ahead with two more victories to claim the victory. All-Sun Belt performer Marion Lehmann won in straight sets at number six singles over Tara Vasovic, 6-3, 6-2, for the match tying point.
After claiming the first set 6-4, Burjaili lost in the second to Milou Israel at number three singles, 1-6. Tied at 4-4 in the third set, the Bebedoura, Brazil, native broke Israel's serve and dished up a win on her own serve for the 6-4 third set victory. ULM went up 3-2 on the Burjaili win.
After missing the first meeting against ULL due to injury, Winkel came up big in her first opportunity against the Warhawks' rival. Winning a close first set, 7-5, the Bonaire native lost the second set 3-6. With the third set tied at 3-3, the freshman won the final three games, including a shutout in the final point, to clinch the 4-2 win for ULM.
“Monica stepped up huge for us,” De Jongh said. “She didn't play against Louisiana-Lafayette the first time we played them and we knew that she would make a huge difference. She is very talented and as a freshman has a lot of room for growth.”
Sophomore Claire Clark, an all-conference representative for the Warhawks, did not finish at number two singles against Julie Mazinova. The Bossier City, La., native trailed 2-1 in the third set.
The Warhawks advance to the quarterfinal round of the Sun Belt Conference tournament and will face No. 37 Florida International, the tournament's second seed, at 3 p.m. at the Waranch Tennis Complex.
Singles (4,1,6,3,5*)
1. Angela Dangond (ULL) def. Lena Satge (ULM) 6-3, 6-2
2. Claire Clark (ULM) vs. Julie Mazinova (ULL) 7-6, 4-6, 1-2 (unfinished)
3. Ana Burjaili (ULM) def. Milou Israel (ULL) 6-4, 1-6, 6-4
4. Sharon Makhanya (ULM) def. Mia Gordon (ULL) 6-0, 6-3
5. Monica Winkel (ULM) def. Marina Ruiz de Guana (ULL) 7-5, 3-6, 6-3
6. Marion Lehmann (ULM) def. Tara Vasovic (ULL) 6-3, 6-2
Doubles (3,1,2*)
1. Gordon/Mazinova (ULL) def. Burjaili/Satge (ULM) 8-3
2. Dangond/Israel (ULL) def. Makhanya/Winkel (ULM) 8-6
3. Clark/Lehmann (ULM) def. Ruiz de Guana/Vasovic (ULL) Forfeit
