Results

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women’s tennis team lost its first match of the season to Middle Tennessee State on Sunday at the Bruce David Lubel Memorial Tennis Courts.

With the 4-3 win MTSU improved its record to 2-1 in dual matches. USA is now 2-1 in its spring campaign.

“Hats off to Middle Tennessee,” said USA head coach Jaco Keyser. “They played a great match. They squeaked out the doubles point and made a couple of comebacks in singles and just really made us fight from behind the whole day.”

The Jaguars picked up the first victory of the day at No. 1 doubles, but the Blue Raiders responded with wins in the No. 2 and No. 3 flights to secure the point.

The South Alabama duo of senior Alina Volman (Lugansk, Ukraine) and sophomore Emily Newton (Dothan, Ala.) defeated Lexi Brand and Marietta Bigus 8-1 on the No. 1 court.

Yuiri Nomoto and Nayara Moraes took the 8-2 win over senior Chané Hines (Johannesburg, South Africa) and freshman Ramona Ghermani (Bad Wimpfen, Germany). Taylor Coffey and Alex Dachos clinched the doubles point by winning the final five games of the match over freshmen Mariya Krachok (Kiev, Ukraine) and Mary Angela Martin (Mobile, Ala.) 8-6.

“If there is one point that we could do over it would be the doubles point,” said Keyser. “Our fundamentals broke down. That was a point we should have had, but it turned against us and really set the mood for the match.”

Newton gave up only two games in her 6-1, 6-1 victory over Dachos to even the score at 1-1, but the Blue Raiders took the next points when Hines fell 6-1, 6-3 to Flavia Nagayama on the No. 1 court, and at the No. 3 spot, Ghermani lost 7-5, 6-2 to Brand.

Martin picked up a point for USA on the No. 5 court with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Bigus. Volman then tied up the match 3-3 when she defeated Nomoto 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 on the No. 1 court.

But Moraes broke the tie and secured the win for MTSU outlasting Krachok 7-5, 1-6, 6-3.

“We had some great fights in singles,” said Keyser. “I thought the girls competed really hard. We just have to get back out on the practice courts and figure out why our fundamentals broke down. The competitiveness was there, but our structure broke down and it just didn’t help us closing out six.”

The Jaguars are back in action at Samford on Feb. 11 at 11 a.m.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

—USA—