LITTLE ROCK, Ark. ? The 64th-ranked University of South Alabama women’s tennis team dropped a 4-3 decision to No. 66 Southern Methodist Sunday afternoon at the UALR Tennis Complex.
The loss evens USA’s record at 7-7 and snaps the Jags’ three-match win streak, while the Mustangs improve to 11-4. South Alabama will return to action on Monday at 11 a.m. when the Jaguar women take on Sun Belt Conference foe UALR who fell 5-2 to Southern Methodist on Saturday.
In what proved to be the deciding part of the match, SMU captured the doubles point and took the early 1-0 lead when the Mustangs picked up wins at the No. 1 and 2 positions. Southern Methodist’s Natalia Bubien and Claire Rietsch picked up an 8-1 victory over USA’s team of Adrianna Solarova and Sylvanie Spangenberg at No.1, while Pavi Francis and Jennifer Chay clinched the point for SMU when they defeated Jelena Krivacevic and Rita Freitas, 8-5 at the second spot. Dijana Stanic and Michaela Babicova prevented the sweep of the double competition with an 8-2 victory at the No. 3 position.
In singles play, the two squads split the six matches. USA’s Solarova (6-3, 6-2), Babicova (6-4, 6-4) and Stanic (2-6, 6-4, 15-13) each picked up wins at the Nos. 1, 2 and 5 spots but it was not enough as the Mustangs captured two straight-set wins of their own at the No 3 and 4 spots and a three-set victory at No. 6.
Tennis Match Results
Southern Methodist vs South Alabama
3/18/2007 at Little Rock, Ark.
#66 Southern Methodist 4, #64 South Alabama 3
Singles competition
1. #46 Adrianna Solarova (USA) def. Bubien, Natalia (SMU) 6-3, 6-2
2. #117 Michaela Babicova (USA) def. Chay, Jennifer (SMU) 6-4, 6-4
3. Rietsch, Claire (SMU) def. Yana Bokareva (USA) 6-1, 6-1
4. Francis, Pavi (SMU) def. Jelena Krivacevic (USA) 7-5, 6-2
5. Dijana Stanic (USA) def. Marta, Georgiana (SMU) 2-6, 6-4, 15-13
6. Reid, Kristen (SMU) def. Sylvanie Spangenberg (USA) 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. Bubien, Natalia/Rietsch, Claire (SMU) def. Adrianna Solarova/Sylvanie Spangenberg (USA) 8-1
2. Francis, Pavi/Chay, Jennifer (SMU) def. Rita Freitas/Jelena Krivacevic (USA) 8-5
3. Michaela Babicova/Dijana Stanic (USA) def. Neveklovska, Monica/Reid, Kristen (SMU) 8-2
Match Notes:
Southern Methodist 11-4; National ranking #66
South Alabama 7-7; National ranking #64
