Box Score NEW ORLEANS -- The ULM tennis team rallied after dropping the doubles point to make things interesting, but the Warhawks came up just short in a 4-2 loss to South Alabama at the City Park Tennis Center in the quarterfinal round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
“We were very, very close to stealing a match from the number three seed and advancing to the semifinal round,” said head coach Terrance De Jongh. “Doubles is a big key to winning in collegiate tennis, but today we didn't have the same intensity and fight that we had in singles. The doubles point is crucial and it makes a big difference as it gives a team a 1-0 lead as well as momentum heading into singles.
South Alabama (15-2) claimed wins at doubles No. 2 and No. 3 to move ahead 1-0 as the two squads headed into the singles matches.
The Jaguars moved ahead in the match, 3-0, as they claimed wins at singles No. 4 and No. 6. At No. 4. Monica Mitta defeated Sandy Lochu, 6-0, 6-0, while Paula Sanchez defeated Marnelle Boshoff, 6-3, 6-0.
ULM's (8-10) Medy Blankvoort got the Warhawks on the board with a 6-1, 6-4 win at singles No. 1 over Michaela Meszarosova. The Warhawks closed the deficit to one as Petra Horakova defeated Emily Newton, 6-3, 7-5, at singles No. 3.
“It was a hard fought match in singles and we were still in the contest with two singles matches still going on,” De Jongh added. “Sophie (Rufyikiri) led her match in the second set, but was unable to hold on and it went into a third set. Angela (Tejedor) dropped the first set, but came back and was leading the second set before falling in a second-set tiebreaker as South Alabama clinched the match.”
Angela Tejedor, after dropping set one (2-6), led 5-3 at singles No. 5, but she was unable to close out the match as Mary Angela Martin rallied to tie the set at 6-6 and won the tiebreaker, 7-1. At singles No. 2, Rufyikriri took the first set from Laura Valkova, 7-5, before dropping set two, 4-6. Set three went unfinished as South Alabama clinched the match on Martin's win at singles No. 5.
“As mentioned before, we fought until the end but we came up just short,” said De Jongh. “We will use this loss as motivation for us next season and we will come back focused and ready to work as we know what we need to do in order to with the tournament. We have been close the last few seasons and it is time for us to advance to and win the championship and that is what we want our focus to be next season.”
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#3 South Alabama 4, #6 ULM 2
Singles competition
1. Blankvoort, Medy (ULM) def. Meszarosova, Mich. (USAW) 6-1, 6-4
2. Valkova, Laura (USAW) vs. Rufyikiri, Sophie (ULM) 7-5, 4-6, 3-4, unfinished
3. Horakova, Petra (ULM) def. Newton, Emily (USAW) 6-3, 7-5
4. Mitta, Monica (USAW) def. Lochu, Sandy (ULM) 6-0, 6-0
5. Martin, Mary Angela (USAW) def. Tejedor, Angela (ULM) 6-2, 7-6 (7-1)
6. Sanchez, Paula (USAW) def. Boshoff, Marnelle (ULM) 6-3, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. Newton, Emily/Matuskova, Laura (USAW) vs. Blankvoort, Medy/Rufyikiri, Sophie (ULM) 2-5, unfinished
2. Mitta, Monica/Meszarosova, Mich. (USAW) def. Horakova, Petra/Boshoff, Marnelle (ULM) 8-1
3. Sanchez, Paula/Valkova, Laura (USAW) def. Tejedor, Angela/Lochu, Sandy (ULM) 8-1
Match Notes:
#6 ULM 8-10
#3 South Alabama 15-2
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (4,6,1,3,5)
#3 South Alabama vs. #6 ULM
2014 Sun Belt Conference Women's Tennis Championships
Quarterfinals
T-2:35
