Wildcats rally to beat SFA in conference opener

Women's Tennis | 3/12/2016 5:14:00 PM

ABILENE - Abilene Christian pushed its win streak to five and lifted its season record to 11-4 following a dramatic 4-3 comeback victory over the defending Southland Conference regular-season champions from Stephen F. Austin on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon at the Eager Tennis Pavilion.

The Wildcats were ahead 2-0 early in today's match until three consecutive wins by the Ladyjacks put them within a point of clinching the match. But sophomore Whitney Williams rallied from a set down to beat Vanesa Calvo Pardo, 1-6, 7-5, 6-2, at No. 5 singles, and then senior Nada Marjanovic sealed the Wildcats' triumph with a dominant third set over Valeria Terentyeva at No. 3, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.

Marjanovic has won her last five decisions in improving to 14-2 on the spring with five of those wins coming at the No. 3 position. Williams also is on a roll, having won seven of her last 10 matches since starting the year at 1-2.

As fulfilling as it was to knock off a team that had beaten the Wildcats twice previously, ACU's climactic comeback wouldn't have been possible if not for a clean sweep of doubles and an opening singles victory at No. 4 from sophomore Lucile Pothier.

The Wildcats started the dual with a trio of 6-3 doubles wins to earn them their fifth-consecutive doubles point. Kaysie Hermsdorf and Pothier were first off the courts behind their team-leading 12th  win of the season, and they were soon followed by No. 1's Williams and Erin Walker (10-5) and the No. 3 duo of Marjanovic and Andrea Crook (9-2).

Pothier put her side ahead 2-0 as she started singles with a convincing 6-0, 6-1 win over Lauren Hidalgo-Smith at No. 4. A former Southland Conference Player of the Week, Pothier has won five-straight singles matches in lifting her season mark to 11-6. She is 6-2 at No. 3, 4-1 at No. 4 and 1-1 at No. 5.

From there the Ladyjacks pushed themselves right back into the dual as their No. 2, 1 and 6 competitors beat Hermsdorf, Walker and Crook in straight sets.

The Wildcats were to have played Northwestern State Sunday, however, that match has been indefinitely postponed as the Lady Demons were affected by the flood waters plaguing parts of Louisiana.

ACU will be in action later this week with conference matches Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at Nicholls, Southeastern and New Orleans.
 

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Abilene Christian 4, Stephen F. Austin 3
Mar 12, 2016 at Abilene, Texas (Eager Tennis Pavilion) 

Singles competition
1. Denise Maxl (SFA) def. Erin Walker (ACU) 6-2, 6-3
2. Dhanielly Quevado (SFA) def. Kaysie Hermsdorf (ACU) 6-2, 6-4
3. Nada Marjanovic (ACU) def. Valeria Terentyeva (SFA) 6-3, 3-6, 6-2
4. Lucile Pothier (ACU) def. Lauren Hidalgo-Smith (SFA) 6-0, 6-1
5. Whitney Williams (ACU) def. Vanesa Calvo Pardo (SFA) 1-6, 7-5, 6-2
6. Liza Aginskaya (SFA) def. Andrea Crook (ACU) 6-3, 6-3

Doubles competition
1. Whitney Williams/Erin Walker (ACU) def. Dhanielly Quevado/Lauren Hidalgo-Smith (SFA) 6-3
2. Kaysie Hermsdorf/Lucile Pothier (ACU) def. Vanesa Calvo Pardo/Denise Maxl (SFA) 6-3
3. Nada Marjanovic/Andrea Crook (ACU) def. Valeria Terentyeva/Liza Aginskaya (SFA) 6-3

Match Notes
Stephen F. Austin 7-6 (1-2 Southland)
Abilene Christian 11-4 (1-0 Southland)
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (4,2,1,6,5,3)
T-4:00 A-100