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ULM Tennis Opens Sun Belt Conference Play with 4-0 Win Over Troy

ULM Tennis Opens Sun Belt Conference Play with 4-0 Win Over Troy

Tennis Mar 12
MONROE, La. – The ULM women's tennis team opened Sun Belt Conference play with a 4-0 victory over Troy Saturday as the Warhawks remained unbeaten at Heard Stadium (3-0) this spring.
 
ULM (4-5, 1-0 Sun Belt) took the first doubles match of the morning as its No. 1 team of Oleksandra Balaba and Alessandra Anghel defeated Andrea Widing and Anastasiia Khokhlova, 6-0. Troy's No. 2 pairing of Michelle Ncube and Kristina Kukaras won the second match over Giovanna Pereira and Madalina Grigoriu, 6-1. The Warhawks clinched the doubles point as Hala Badwy and Jimena Garbino delivered a 6-2 win over Olivia Elliott and Franziska Ahrend at the No. 3 position.   
 
Badwy gave ULM a 2-0 lead, thanks to her 6-2, 6-3 victory over Khokhlova at the No. 1 singles position. The Warhawks got another straight-sets win at No. 2 singles as Anghel defeated Kukaras, 6-2, 6-3 before Brianna Gomez secured the match point for ULM with a 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 triumph over Ncube at the No. 3.
 
With the loss, the Trojans slip to 5-7 overall, 0-1 in conference play.
 
"It's a great start to our Sun Belt matches," ULM coach Abdelrahman Zaki said. "We have a lot of respect for Troy. They're a well-coached team and fought us hard at all spots.
 
"Our girls battled hard today, and it all started with lots of focus and a desire to win. Maintaining our focus and a strong mindset throughout the match were the keys to today's win. This is one of those matches that could have gone either way but give lots of credit to our players, who played well in the decisive moments.
 
"Brianna did an incredible job today," Zaki continued. "She had to take a lot of responsibility to get back into her match and win the third set to clinch this important victory for us in the conference opener."
 
ULM concludes its first weekend of Sun Belt action at South Alabama on Sunday, March 13 at 12 p.m.
 
ULM 4, Troy 0
Doubles
1. Oleksandra Balaba/Alessandra Anghel (ULM) def. Andrea Widing/Anastasiia Khokhlova (Troy), 6-0
2. Michelle Ncube/Kristina Kukaras (Troy) def. Giovanna Pereira/Madalina Grigoriu (ULM), 6-1
3. Hala Badwy/Jimena Garbino (ULM) def. Olivia Elliott/Franziska Ahrend (Troy), 6-2 
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3*
*Clinched the doubles point
 
Singles 
1. Hala Badwy (ULM) def. Anastasiia Khokhlova (Troy), 6-2, 6-3 
2. Alessandra Anghel (ULM) def. Kristina Kukaras (Troy), 6-2, 6-3
3. Brianna Gomez (ULM) def. Michelle Ncube (Troy), 6-4, 2-6, 6-3
4. Oleksandra Balaba (ULM) vs. Hagar Amin (Troy), 5-7, 6-5 (unfinished)
5. Madalina Grigoriu (ULM) vs. Olivia Elliott (Troy), 4-6, 6-6 [2-3] (unfinished) 
6. Jimena Garbino (ULM) vs. Franziska Ahrend (Troy), 6-0, 4-6, 3-1 (unfinished)
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3^
^Clinched the overall match
 
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