Complete Results
MOBILE, Ala. – No. 56 North Texas snapped the University of South Alabama women’s tennis team’s four-match win streak with a 4-3 victory over the Jaguars Sunday at the Bruce David Lubel Memorial Tennis Courts.
USA dropped to 4-1 overall, while UNT improved to 5-1 in their spring campaign.
“This loss is a tough one to swallow because in my mind it was an extremely winnable match,” said USA head coach Jaco Keyser. “It’s a hard loss, but it’s part of s growth process for this team. We probably needed a match like today so that we can really see the value of our practices and hopefully learn from it.”
The Mean Green took the first four singles’ points on the No. 3, No. 4, No. 5 and No. 1 courts to give them the 4-1 lead and the win.
Valentina Starkova defeated sophomore Ramona Ghermani (Bad Wimpfen, Germany) 6-0, 6-2 at No. 3, followed by Ilona Serchenko’s 6-2, 6-1 win over freshman Chinta Marie Papke (Flein, Germany) at the No. 4 spot. Sophomore Mariya Krachok (Kiev, Ukraine) fell 6-4, 6-1 to Franziska Sprinkmeyer on the No. 5 court.
Kseniya Barbadush topped sophomore Emily Newton (Dothan, Ala.) 7-5, 6-1 in the No. 1 flight to secure the win for North Texas.
Sophomore Mary Angela Martin (Mobile, Ala.) and freshman Michaela Meszarosova (Bratislava, Slovakia) claimed the only two singles points for the Jaguars. Martin topped Agustina Valenzuela 6-4, 3-6, (10-5) at No. 6. Meszarosova outlasted Barbora Vykydalova 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 at the No. 2 spot.
“It was good for Mary Angela and Michaela to get those singles wins, but this is a team sport,” said Keyser. “As a team we’ve got to get those consistent performances in order to move forward.”
The South Alabama tandem of Krachok and Ghermani picked up the first win of the day with their 8-6 win over Starkova and Vykydalova at No. 2. Newton and Meszarosova clinched the point for the Jags with their 8-6 victory over at Barbadush and Sprinkmeyer at No. 1.
“We played a good doubles point,” said Keyser. “It was kind of a reflection of our practices. I think we’ve been having good doubles practices and more importantly we’re doing the right thing in doubles. It’s starting to show up in matches.”
South Alabama will be back in action Feb. 23 when they face South Carolina State in Jacksonville, Fla.
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).
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