Women's tennis wrangles McNeese Cowgirls, 5-2

LAKE CHARLES, La. - ACU's women's tennis team overcame a rare doubles defeat with five-consecutive singles victories in its 5-2 win over McNeese Saturday morning at the Nancy Hank Tennis Center.

The Wildcats improved their season and conference records to 11-4 and 3-1 with the triumph, while the Cowgirls fell to 8-8 and 3-2. ACU has now won its last four decisions since losing 4-3 at Central Arkansas in their Southland Conference opener earlier this month, and have been victorious in nine of its last 10 dual matches.

ACU's doubles defeat was its sixth of the spring, but today marked only the second time the Wildcats would rally from an opening 1-0 deficit. Their previous comeback was at home against UTEP on Opening Day (Jan. 21) – an eventual 4-3 win for the Wildcats.

After ACU's No. 2's and 3's lost by respective scores of 6-2 and 6-4, the Wildcats regrouped and were excellent from top-to-bottom in singles starting with Erin Walker's and Lucile Pothier's straight-set victories over conference notables Giovanna Fioretti and Hannah Brett. Walker tied the score at 1-1 after defeating Fioretti – the reigning Southland Conference Freshman of the Year – 6-1, 6-2. Pothier then downed Brett – a 2016 First Team All-Conference honoree – 6-2, 6-2 in giving ACU the lead for good.

The Wildcats won their next two singles contests in straight sets to clinch the match as sophomore Autumn Crossnoe followed Sarah Eleanor Adams' 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 4 with a 6-3, 6-4 decision at No. 6. Adams leads the team with 13 victories and has won four straight matches.

Whitney Williams later battled back at No. 2 to defeat Sarah Jurakova, 7-5, 2-6, 10-8, for the Wildcats' fifth and final point, but the Cowgirls dodged a Wildcat singles sweep as Charoline Erlandsson held off Jordan Henry at No. 5, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4.

The Wildcats are back in action Sunday at home at 11:44 a.m. for a simultaneous men's / women's doubleheader vs. Nicholls. 
 

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Abilene Christian 5, McNeese 2
Mar 18, 2017 at Lake Charles, La. (Nancy Hank Tennis Center) 

Singles competition
1. Erin Walker (ACU) def. Giovanna Fioretti (MCN) 6-1, 6-2
2. Whitney Williams (ACU) def. Sarah Jurakova (MCN) 7-5, 2-6, 10-8
3. Lucile Pothier (ACU) def. Hannah Brett (MCN) 6-2, 6-2
4. Sarah Adams (ACU) def. Phonexay Chitdara (MCN) 6-2, 6-2
5. Charoline Erlandsson (MCN) def. Jordan Henry (ACU) 1-6, 6-4, 6-4
6. Autumn Crossnoe (ACU) def. Stella Carra (MCN) 6-3, 6-4

Doubles competition
1. Sarah Jurakova/Hannah Brett (MCN) vs. Erin Walker/Whitney Williams (ACU) 3-5, unfinished
2. Vivien Borbely/Charoline Erlandsson (MCN) def. Lucile Pothier/Sarah Adams (ACU) 6-4
3. Giovanna Fioretti/Stella Carra (MCN) def. Jordan Henry/Ansley Boarman (ACU) 6-2

Match Notes
Abilene Christian 11-4, 3-1 SLC
McNeese 8-8, 3-2 SLC
Order of Finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (1,3,4,6,2,5)