Oleksandra Balaba vs. Grambling 2021
Siddharth Gaulee/ULM Photo Services
4
Winner ULM ULM (3-5)
3
Central Arkansas UCA (7-6)
Winner
ULM ULM
(3-5)
4
Final
3
Central Arkansas UCA
(7-6)

Match Recap: Tennis |

Balaba Clinches Match with 3-Set Win at No. 4 Singles; ULM Edges UCA, 4-3

CONWAY, Ark. – The ULM women's tennis team snapped a three-match losing streak with an impressive 4-3 victory at Central Arkansas Saturday afternoon.
 
UCA (7-6) captured the doubles point to take a 1-0 lead as the tandem of Chunxi Xin and Fuka Nonoyama defeated Oleksandra Balaba and Hala Bawdy, 6-2, at the No. 1 position, and Maja Gledic and Jaeun Lee followed with a 6-3 win over Jimena Garbino and Brianna Gomez at No. 3.
 
ULM (3-5) answered by winning the first three singles matches in straight sets. The Warhawks tied the match at 1-all as Alessandra Anghel cruised to a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Nonoyama at the No. 2 position. Garbino followed with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Ishimura at No. 6, and ULM built a 3-1 advantage after Badwy posted a 7-5, 6-1 victory at No. 1.
 
The Bears rallied to tie the match at 3-all as Lee outlasted Gomez in three sets, 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 at No. 3 and Gledic came through with a 7-6, 6-2 win over Madalina Grigoriu at No. 5.
 
Balaba, who made her first appearance of spring season on Saturday, clinched the match for ULM with a 6-4, 6-7, 6-4 victory over Sumono Hamanaga at No. 4 singles. Balaba rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the decisive third set.
 
"What a great win earned against UCA, one of the stronger teams we'll face this season," first-year ULM head coach Abdelrahman Zaki said. "Credit our team for bouncing back quickly after a slow start in doubles. They came out in singles playing only to win and that put UCA under pressure at all spots.
 
"I knew we have been getting better and developing despite our recent losses, but we needed a win. Today was the first match this spring season that we played with our full squad after getting Brianna (Gomez) and Sasha (Balaba) back in the lineup. They deserve so much credit because they gave us so much depth and power at their (respective) spots.
 
"Sasha was our hero today. She was the (match) clincher and fighter, who came back from 0-3 in the third set and sealed the deal 6-4 to give us the win."
 
ULM returns home for a non-conference match against Northwestern State on Tuesday, March 8 at 2 p.m. at Heard Stadium.
 
 
ULM 4, UCA 3
Doubles
1. Chunxi Xin/Fuka Nonoyama (UCA) def. Oleksandra Balaba/Hala Badwy (ULM), 6-2
2. Alessandra Anghel/Daniela Hernandez (ULM) vs. Mei Ishimura/Sumono Hamanaga (UC), 4-4 (unfinished)
3. Maja Gledic/Jaeun Lee (UCA) def. Jimena Garbino/Brianna Gomez (ULM), 6-3
Order of Finish:  1, 3*
*Clinched the doubles point
 
Singles
1. Hala Badwy (ULM) def. Chunxi Xin (UCA), 7-5, 6-1
2. Alessandra Anghel (ULM) def. Fuka Nonoyama (UCA), 6-0, 6-2
3. Jaeun Lee (UCA) def. Brianna Gomez (ULM), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1
4. Oleksandra Balaba (ULM) def. Sumono Hamanaga (UCA), 6-4, 6-7, 6-4
5. Maja Gledic (UCA) def. Madalina Grigoriu (ULM), 7-6, 6-2
6. Jimena Garbino (ULM) def. Mei Ishimura (UCA), 6-1, 6-3
 
Order of Finish: 2, 6, 1, 3, 5, 4^
^Clinched the overall match
 
ULM Tennis_Team Picture after UCA Win 2022

 
Print Friendly Version