HAMMOND, La. – Abilene Christian women's tennis won its Southland Conference season opener Friday at the SLU Tennis Complex, defeating the Lady Lions of Southeastern Louisiana, 4-3. The win lifted the Wildcats' overall and league records to 5-7 and 1-0, while SLU fell to 3-6 and 0-1.
ACU lost the doubles point with 6-1 and 6-2 defeats coming at the No. 1 and 2 lines, respectively, but the Wildcats made an incredible comeback following the break by winning four of six singles battles.
Sophomore
Nini Memishishi tied the team score at 1-1 with her No. 2 line straight-set triumph over Vicky Scholz, 6-1, 6-1, and the Wildcats followed with two additional wins at No. 4 and 5 with senior
Jordan Henry beating Ceci Mercier, 6-1, 6-3, and
Allison Stewart topping Flory Bierma, 6-2, 6-2. Henry leads ACU with eight singles victories.
ACU's 3-1 lead, however, would eventually vanish as the Lady Lions' No. 1 and 3 competitors each survived in three sets. Putri Insani rallied from a set down to beat junior
Sarah Adams at No. 1, 4-6, 6-0, 6-1, and Ximena Yanez edged senior Autumn Bellow at the third position, 6-1, 2-6, 7-5.
With the score knotted at 3-3, everyone's attention turned toward the No. 6 court where sophomore
Ileana Mocciola held off Katya Cornejo, 6-0, 4-6, 6-4. The victory evened Mocciola's season record at 6-6.
ACU returns to action Sunday with a 10 a.m. match at McNeese. The Cowgirls defeated the Wildcats last season, 4-3, in Abilene. Six of last year's conference matches were decided by one point with ACU winning twice en route to a 7-4 Southland record.
Abilene Christian 4, Southeastern Louisiana 3
Mar 01, 2019 at Hammond, La. (SLU Tennis Complex)
Singles competition
1. Putri Insani (SLU) def.
Sarah Adams (ACU) 4-6, 6-0, 6-1
2.
Nini Memishishi (ACU) def. Vicky Scholz (SLU) 6-1, 6-1
3. Ximena Yanez (SLU) def. Autumn Bellow (ACU) 6-1, 2-6, 7-5
4.
Jordan Henry (ACU) def. Ceci Mercier (SLU) 6-1, 6-3
5.
Allison Stewart (ACU) def. Flory Bierma (SLU) 6-2, 6-2
6.
Ileana Mocciola (ACU) def. Katya Cornejo (SLU) 6-0, 4-6, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. Putri Insani/Ximena Yanez (SLU) def.
Sarah Adams/
Nini Memishishi (ACU) 6-1
2. Ceci Mercier/Vicky Scholz (SLU) def. Autumn Bellow/
Ileana Mocciola (ACU) 6-2
3. Flory Bierma/Katya Cornejo (SLU) vs.
Jordan Henry/
Allison Stewart (ACU) 4-3, unfinished
Match Notes
Abilene Christian 5-7, 1-0 SLC
Southeastern Louisiana 3-6, 0-1 SLC
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (2,5,4,1,3,6)
