ABILENE – Well rested following a 20-day layoff from competition, the Abilene Christian women's tennis team Friday won its first two home matches of the spring, beating New Mexico, 4-3, and its former Lone Star Conference rivals Midwestern State, 7-0.
Both victories took place on the indoor courts of the Teague Events Center, lifting the Wildcats' season record to 6-3.
The Wildcats swept the doubles contest in each dual.
Sarah Eleanor Adams and
Whitney Williams recorded consecutive 6-1 triumphs at the top spot, in pushing their winning streak to four, while the No. 2 tandem of
Lucile Pothier and
Nini Memishishi followed its 6-1 win vs. New Mexico with a shutout of the Mustangs.
And the No. 3 combo of
Autumn Crossnoe and
Ileana Mocciola first edged the Lobos, 7-6, before cruising to a 6-1 win in the night cap.
Mocciola earned the clinching point of ACU's first program victory vs. New Mexico with today's dual serving as only second meeting between schools since the Wildcats jumped into D1 athletics in 2014. The Lobos beat ACU that season, 6-1, and also scored a 5-2 win during the 2011 campaign.
A freshman from Argentina, Mocciola beat Yue Lin Chen at the No. 6 line, 6-3, 6-2 to even her season record at 4-4, and came shortly after the Lobos tied the team score at 3-3 with straight-set wins at No. 4 and 5.
Mocciola, of course, would have not have had to opportunity to play the role of hero if not for two clutch victories at No. 1 and 2 from seniors Pothier and Williams. Pothier rallied from an early deficit in the second set to beat Ruth Copas, 6-3, 7-5, and Williams topped Danielle Quevedo, 7-5, 7-6 (4).
The senior duo swapped the top-two positions during the Midwestern State dual, and while Pothier scored a straight-set, 6-4, 6-0, win over Bianca Duff, Williams battled back from a set down to beat Maddy Coffman, 4-6, 6-3, 6-0.
Crossnoe, Memishish and Mocciola additionally posted straight-set wins, but to complete the shutout win, Adams had to comeback to beat Greta Lazzarotto at No. 4 in a three-set super tiebreaker match, 6-7, 6-1, 10-8.
Up next for the Wildcats is the start of Southland Conference play and a 10 a.m. dual at Nicholls set for Feb. 26. Monday's forecast in Thibodaux calls for partly cloudy skies and a high of 75 degrees.
Abilene Christian 4, New Mexico 3
Feb 23, 2018 at Abilene, Texas (Teague Events Center)
Singles competition
1.
Lucile Pothier (ACU) def. COPAS, Ruth (NM) 6-3, 7-5
2.
Whitney Williams (ACU) def. QUEVEDO, Danielle (NM) 7-5, 7-6 (7-4)
3. WONG, Diana (NM) def. Sarah Adams (ACU) 6-1, 1-6, 6-4
4. MURGETT, Bronte (NM) def.
Autumn Crossnoe (ACU) 6-2, 6-3
5. HUANG, Hsiang-Wen (NM) def.
Nini Memishishi (ACU) 6-4, 6-2
6.
Ileana Mocciola (ACU) def. CHEN, Yue Lin (NM) 6-3, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. Sarah Adams/
Whitney Williams (ACU) def. MUNDAY, Natasha/QUEVEDO, Danielle (NM) 6-1
2.
Nini Memishishi/
Lucile Pothier (ACU) def. COPAS, Ruth/HUANG, Hsiang-Wen (NM) 6-1
3.
Autumn Crossnoe/
Ileana Mocciola (ACU) def. WONG, Diana/MURGETT, Bronte (NM) 7-6
Match Notes
New Mexico 1-3
Abilene Christian 5-3
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (3,1,2,4,5,6)
Abilene Christian 7, Midwestern State 0
Feb 23, 2018 at Abilene, Texas (Teague Events Center)
Singles competition
1.
Whitney Williams (ACU) def. Maddy Coffman (MSU) 4-6, 6-3, 6-0
2.
Lucile Pothier (ACU) def. Bianca Duff (MSU) 6-4, 6-0
3.
Autumn Crossnoe (ACU) def. Ashley Ramirez (MSU) 6-2, 6-4
4. Sarah Adams (ACU) def. Greta Lazzarotto (MSU) 6-7, 6-1, 10-8
5.
Nini Memishishi (ACU) def. Anna Claire Gerletti (MSU) 6-1, 6-2
6.
Ileana Mocciola (ACU) def. Emilija Segetlija (MSU) 6-3, 6-1
Doubles competition
1.
Whitney Williams/Sarah Adams (ACU) def. Maddy Coffman/Bianca Duff (MSU) 6-1
2.
Nini Memishishi/
Lucile Pothier (ACU) def. Greta Lazzarotto/Ashley Ramirez (MSU) 6-0
3.
Ileana Mocciola/
Autumn Crossnoe (ACU) def. Anna Claire Gerletti/Emilija Segetlija (MSU) 6-1
Match Notes
Midwestern State 0-2
Abilene Christian 6-3
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (2,3,1,5,6,4)
