Williamsburg, KY – The 20
th-ranked UC women's tennis team notched their first Mid-South Conference win of the season defeating 15
th-ranked Cumberland 5-3 Friday afternoon at the UC Tennis Complex. With the win the Patriots improve to 6-4 overall and 1-2 in MSC play, while the Phoenix move to 7-4 and 0-1 in conference play.
"I'm proud of the effort that this team gave today," said Head Coach
Chin Tan. "We have preach the motto 'Believe, Confidence and Grit' and this team showed it today."
The duo of
Jaclyn Jewell and
Tomomi Nagao, ranked 13
th in the NAIA, struck first with an 8-0 win over Stefanie Navaratnam and Kylie Humphrey at #2 doubles to give UC a 1-0 lead. Cumberland tied the score at 1-1 with an 8-2 win at #1 doubles. At #3 doubles
Sydney White and
Mikaela Fros battled Marianela Landi and Ksenija Dmitrovic in a back-and-forth battle. The match was tied 8-8, which force a tiebreaker that White and Fros won 7-2, to give Cumberlands a 2-1 edge heading into singles play.
Cumberland evened the score at 2-2 as 13
th-ranked Ainhoa Garrido recorded a 6-4, 6-2 win at #1 singles. UC retook the lead quickly as 18
th-ranked Nagao defeated Jessica Hernandez, who is ranked 31
st, 6-2, 6-3. The win was Nagao's second win over a ranked opponent and she improves to 7-2 on the season. At #3 singles, Fros took the first set 6-2, however Landi won the second set 6-1 to force a third set. Landi would win the third set 6-4 to tie the match at 3-3.
Luka Lyttle (#4 singles) and
Tessa Gray (#6 singles) won the first set in their respective matches before play was suspended due to rain. The delay didn't slow Gray down as since posted a 6-4, 6-0 win to give UC a 4-3 edge.
Grace Steely, playing #5 singles, defeated Ana Maria Collazos 6-2, 6-2 to clinch the match and secure the 5-3 final. Lyttle's match was halted during the second set.
Jewell and Nagao improve to 7-3 on the season, while Fros and White are 5-3 overall and 2-1 against the MSC playing #3 doubles.
The Patriots will return to the court Saturday, March 30, when they travel to Pikeville, KY to face the Bears in a Mid-South Conference match. The match is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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