Complete Results
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - With the doubles point under its belt, No. 31 Memphis took the next four singles matches in straight sets to claim a 5-0 victory Saturday over the University of South Alabama women’s tennis team at the Racquet Club of Memphis.
The Tigers earn their fourth straight win to improve to 12-6 in their spring campaign while the Jaguars fall to 11-6.
“That’s a good Memphis team,” said USA head coach Jaco Keyser. “They look the part and play with a belief in themselves. We definitely pass the eye ball test, but we’re still a little short in trusting and believing in our games.”
UM took the doubles point, built on that momentum and lost no more than five games in any of the four singles matches.
Sophomores Mariya Krachok (Kiev, Ukraine) and Ramona Ghermani (Bad Wimpfen, Germany) lost their second match of the season when they fell 8-1 to Alyssa Hibberd and Tiffany Welcher on the No. 2 court. The 44th-ranked duo of Courtney Collins and Kelly Gray edged sophomore Emily Newton (Dothan, Ala.) and freshman Michaela Meszarosova (Bratislava, Slovakia) 8-4 at No. 1 to secure the doubles point for the Tigers.
Memphis took a 3-0 lead early in singles with a pair of victories at Nos. 2 and 4. Welcher defeated Krachok 6-0, 6-2 at the No. 2 spot and Hibberd topped freshman Cinta Maria Papke (Flein, Germany) 6-2, 6-1 in the No. 4 flight.
Stefanie Mikesz clinched the win for the Tigers with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over freshman Paula Sanchez (Bogota, Columbia) at No. 6. Collins, ranked 39th in the nation, downed Meszarosova 6-2, 6-1 on the No. 1 court to close out the day.
“We have a quick turn around with an important Sun Belt Conference match against MTSU in the morning,” said Keyser.
South Alabama returns to action Sunday when they take on Middle Tennessee 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).
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