Box Score STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The ULM
tennis team rolled to its eighth straight victory with a 6-1 win at No. 73
Mississippi State Sunday afternoon at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Center. It was the
Warhawks first win over a ranked opponent since joining the Sun Belt Conference
in 2006 and their first win over Mississippi State since 1985.
"We are playing with amazing confidence
right now and I couldn't be more proud of this team," ULM head coach Terrence
De Jongh said. "To put together a nine-match win streak against any competition
is a tremendous accomplishment, but when you do it against the type of teams
that we have played it is truly remarkable."
The Warhawks (9-1) took a 1-0
lead after they claimed the doubles point in thrilling fashion. After
Mississippi State won 8-3 on court one, ULM turned in victories on court two
and three to win the doubles point for the eighth straight time.
Claire Clark and Monica Winkel
rallied from a 5-2 deficit on court two to defeat Mariia Ryzhova and Oleya
Tsigvintseva 9-7. On court three, Ana Burjaili and Vivian Polak jumped out to a
6-3 lead against Vivian Pietraroia and Elizabeth Hall. The Bulldog duo won two
straight games to pull within one, 6-5, but ULM's pair won the final two games
to claim the match 8-5.
The Warhawks left little doubt
about the outcome of the match as they won the first four singles matches to
take a 5-0 lead and clinch the victory.
Polak cruised to a 6-4, 6-1 win on court five to give the Warhawks a 2-0
advantage and freshman Letha Gaigher won her eighth straight singles match with
a 6-2, 6-2 victory on court six.
Clark avenged her only singles
loss of last season as she clinched the match for the Warhawks with a 7-5, 6-3
victory over Perper on court one. She is now 47-2 over the past three spring
seasons in singles and a perfect 9-0 this year.
Winkel kept the momentum
rolling for ULM with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-0 victory over Terpko on court three to snap
a two-match losing streak. Ryzhova picked up the only point for the Bulldogs
(2-4) with a three-set victory on court two. Burjaili closed out the match for
the Warhawks with a three-set win on court four.
ULM will look to make it nine
in a row next Sunday when they travel to Murfreesboro, Tenn., to take on Sun Belt
Conference foe UL-Lafayette. The Warhawks will then play Middle Tennessee on
Tuesday.
ULM 6, No. 73 Mississippi State 1
Singles:
1. Claire Clark (ULM) def.
Alexandra Perper (MSST) 7-5, 6-3
2. Mariia Ryzhova (MSST) def.
Medy Blankvoort (ULM) 6-4, 2-6, 10-5
3. Monica Winkel (ULM) def.
Danielle Terpko (MSST) 6-2, 5-7, 6-0
4. Ana Burjaili (ULM) def.
Olesya Tsigvintseva (MSST) 6-4, 4-6, 10-4
5. Vivian Polak (ULM) def.
Roseline Dion (MSST) 6-4, 6-1
6. Letha Gaigher (ULM) def.
Vivian Pietraroia (MSST) 6-2, 6-2
Doubles:
1. Alexandra Perper/Danielle
Terpko (MSST) def. Medy Blankvoort/Letha Gaigher (ULM) 8-3
2. Claire Clark/Monica Winkel
(ULM) def. Mariia Ryzhova/Olesya Tsigvintseva (MSST) 9-7
3. Ana Burjaili/Vivian Polak
(ULM) def. Elizabeth Hall/Vivian Pietraroia (MSST) 8-5
