Marshall University Athletics
Women's Tennis Loses Close Match to Texas-Arlington
3/20/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Women's Tennis Loses Close Match to Texas-Arlington
3/20/2003
ARLINGTON, Texas ? After easily securing the doubles point, the Marshall University women?s tennis team was poised for their fourth straight victory. However, the University of Texas at Arlington rallied by winning four of the last five matches to defeat Marshall 4-3. With the loss, Marshall falls to 5-6 on the year.
With all other matches already completed and the team score tied 3-3, the match came down to the number one singles match between Marshall?s Jessica Johnson and UTA?s Annemarie Lenze. Lenze used a 7-6 third-set win over Johnson to give UTA the team victory. Lenze won the first set against Johnson 7-6, but dropped the second set 6-4 to set up the finish.
Marshall was unable to take advantage of two defaults by the Mavericks due to injury. With just five players available to participate, the Mavericks were forced to forfeit matches at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles. The Thundering Herd swept the doubles matches to win the first point, as Johnson and Alice Sukner, the nation's 17th-ranked doubles team, defeated UTA's Lenze and Rozkalne 8-6 in the top position, and Lille Nzudie and Ashley Kroh handed the Mavericks' Ella Goldshuv and Jitka Vetrovcova an 8-2 loss.
With Marshall up 2-0 by virtue of the doubles point and the forfeit win at No. 6 singles, UTA was forced to win four of the five singles matches that were played. Rozkalne was the first Maverick to finish her match, as she defeated Sukner in a close affair, 7-5, 7-5. Then Goldshuv defeated Nzudie 6-4, 6-4 in the third flight to tie the match at two points apiece. But Marshall went back ahead when Joelle Good defeated Gretel Hach 6-1, 7-6 in the No. 5 singles match, giving the Thundering Herd a 3-2 lead. Vetrovcova would tie the score again with her No. 4 singles victory over Danielle Hock by a score of 7-6, 6-4, setting up the do-or-die outcome in the top position.
Marshall will return to action on Saturday, March 22, when they will face Texas Christian University at 12:00 p.m. in Fort Worth, Texas.
Singles:
1. Annemarie Lenze (UTA) def. Jessica Johnson (MU) 7-6, 4-6, 7-6
2. Anete Rozkalne (UTA) def. Alice Sukner (MU) 7-5, 7-5
3. Ella Goldshuv (UTA) def. Lille Nzudie (MU) 6-4, 6-4
4. Jitka Vetrovcova (UTA) def. Danielle Hock (MU) 7-6, 6-4
5. Joelle Good (MU) def. Gretel Hach (UTA) 6-1, 7-6
6. Megan Skalsky (MU) won by default (no opponent)
Doubles:
1. No. 17 Johnson/Sukner (MU) def. Lenze/Rozkalne (UTA) 8-6
2. Nzudie/Ashley Kroh (MU) def. Goldshuv/Vetrovcova (UTA) 8-2
3. Hock/Skalsky (MU) won by default (no opponent)
