ABILENE – Abilene Christian women's tennis handed the first-place Southland Conference team from Northwestern State its first loss of the league season, battling back from a point down to top the Lady Demons, 4-3, Friday afternoon at the Eager Tennis Center.
The Wildcats now have won their last three conference matches in improving to 11-7 overall and 5-3 within the league – putting them two-games behind 7-1 Northwestern State, which is 11-6 overall. Both teams have three matches left on the schedule, and between them in the standings are 6-1 McNeese, 4-1 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 3-1 Central Arkansas and 4-2 Sam Houston State.
ACU lost the doubles point in heartbreaking fashion as the No. 2 team of sophomore
Sarah Eleanor Adams and freshman
Nini Memishishi lost 7-5 to Kateryna Avram and Judit Castillo following a split of the No. 1 and 3 matches. Seniors
Lucile Pothier and
Whitney Williams were doubled up by Polina Ivanova and Polina Mutel, 6-3, but the Wildcats' No. 3 team of junior
Autumn Crossnoe and freshman Illeana Mocciola rallied from an early deficit to top Emilija Dancetovic and Ela Iwaniuk, 6-3.
Even against the first-place team, which had won seven-straight matches, the Wildcats knew this deficit was not insurmountable and they all possessed the belief to win at each of the six courts. And at the end of the first round of sets, ACU led on five of the six courts with the lone exception being Memishishi, who eventually rallied to beat Emilija Dancetovic, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, for the match-clinching point and her team leading 14th singles victory.
The Wildcats' comeback started four matches earlier at the No. 5 spot where Crossnoe avenged last season's three-set loss to Castillo with a 6-4, 6-4 decision. Crossnoe has won her last five matches following a 4-6 start.
Then after the Lady Demons tied the team score once more at 2-2 behind Ivanova's three-set win at No. 2 over Williams, the Wildcats won the next three matches as Pothier held off Mutel, 6-3, 7-6 (6) and the two freshmen Mocciola (W, 7-5, 6-4) and Memishishi got the job done on courts No. 6 and 3.
Mutel's loss was her first in conference play and only her third of the year to go along with 11 victories, while Pothier's win was her 10th of the spring at No. 1 and improved her conference mark to 6-2.
The Wildcats conclude their homestand Saturday at 11 a.m. vs. Stephen F. Austin.
Abilene Christian 4, Northwestern State 3
Mar 30, 2018 at Abilene, Texas (Eager Tennis Center)
Singles competition
1.
Lucile Pothier (ACU) def. Polina Mutel (NWST) 6-3, 7-6 (8-6)
2. Polina Ivanova (NWST) def.
Whitney Williams (ACU) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
3.
Nini Memishishi (ACU) def. Emilija Dancetovic (NWST) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1
4. Ela Iwaniuk (NWST) def. Sarah Adams (ACU) 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)
5.
Autumn Crossnoe (ACU) def. Judit Castillo (NWST) 6-3, 6-4
6.
Ileana Mocciola (ACU) def. Kateryna Avram (NWST) 7-5, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. Polina Ivanova/Polina Mutel (NWST) def.
Lucile Pothier/
Whitney Williams (ACU) 6-3
2. Kateryna Avram/Judit Castillo (NWST) def. Sarah Adams/
Nini Memishishi (ACU) 7-5
3.
Ileana Mocciola/
Autumn Crossnoe (ACU) def. Emilija Dancetovic/Ela Iwaniuk (NWST) 6-3
Match Notes
Northwestern State 11-6 (7-1 SLC)
Abilene Christian 11-7 (5-3 SLC)
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (5,2,1,6,3,4)
T-3:15 A-50
