Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
No. 55 Rice
No. 62 @Herd_Tennis Falls to No. 55 Rice
3/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
HOUSTON --The winning streak of No. 62 Marshall tennis (11-5) was cut short after a 5-2 loss to No. 55 Rice (7-7) Wednesday, at the George R. Brown Tennis Club in Houston, Texas.
Despite threats of rain, the Herd was able to play its first outdoor match of the 2015 spring season.
The Owls snatched all three doubles wins to start the day. Freshman Maddie Silver (Grand Rapids, Mich.) and sophomore Rachael Morales (Reynoldsburg, Ohio) went down first (8-2) on court 3.
Senior Kai Broomfield (Toronto, Canada) and freshman Marija Bogicevic (Belgrade, Serbia) battled close at the No. 2 spot, but ultimately fell 8-6.
Sophomore duo Derya Turhan (Bad Salzuflen, Germany) and Anna Pomyatinskaya (Sochi, Russia) also fell to the nationally ranked (No. 67) pair of Beazant/Zimmermann in a grueling 8-7 (7-2) decision.
Singles play fluctuated up and down the lineup.
No. 23 Natalie Beazant was able to beat the Herd's Turhan 6-1, 6-0 on court 1. Bogicevic also took a straight set loss on court 5 (6-1, 6-1).
Pomyatinskaya won her 12th singles match of the season, putting the Herd on the board with a 6-2, 6-1 win on court 3, but the match was decided when the Owls took its fourth win over Silver (6-2, 6-1) on court 2.
Broomfield continued to battle on court 4, losing a heart wrenching three-setter (1-6, 6-2, 10-6).
Morales ended the day on a positive note, clinching a 5-7, 6-3, 10-7 win on court 6 to make the final score 5-2.
The Herd remains in the Lonestar State to take on former Conference USA rival No. 48 Houston on Sunday, March 22.
Quotes by head coach John Mercer
"To their credit, they played better than we did today. We had our chances in some spots, but they seemed to play more consistent."
"I was a little disappointed in the doubles. Being up on two courts against a tough opponent, we can't let the leads slip away. That doubles point can make the difference of a match."
"Today was important to not only give us an idea of what to expect at the conference tournament, but also to get a match outside under our belts. We have another one Sunday, so we'll just look to improve and take away what we can."
Complete Results
No. 62 Marshall vs. No. 55 Rice
3/18/2015 at Houston, Texas
(George R. Brown Tennis Club)
Doubles Competition
1. #67 Natalie Beazant/Liat Zimmermann (RICE) def. Anna Pomyatinskaya/Derya Turhan (MAR) 8-7 (7-2)
2. Alison Ho/Katherine Ip (RICE) def. Marija Bogicevic/Kai Broomfield (MAR) 8-6
3. Lindsey Hodge/Savannah Durkin (RICE) def. Maddie Silver/Rachael Morales (MAR) 8-2
Order of Finish:
3, 2, 1
Singles competition
1. #23 Natalie Beazant (RICE) def. Derya Turhan (MAR) 6-1, 6-0
2. Katherine Ip (RICE) def. Maddie Silver (MAR) 6-2, 6-1
3. Anna Pomyatinskaya (MAR) def. Lindsey Hodge (RICE) 6-2, 6-1
4. Liat Zimmermann (RICE) def. Kai Broomfield (MAR) 1-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-6)
5. Savannah Durkin (RICE) def. Marija Bogicevic (MAR) 6-1, 6-1
6. Rachael Morales (MAR) def. Solomiya Zinko (RICE) 5-7, 6-3, 1-0 (10-7)
Order of Finish: 1, 5, 3, 2, 4, 6
Players Mentioned
