NATCHITOCHES, La. – Abilene Christian women's tennis won its ninth-consecutive Southland Conference match Friday, beating Northwestern State, 5-2, at the Jack Fisher Tennis Complex to tie a program record for most Southland wins during a regular season. The 2014 and 2016 teams also won nine league matches, but neither took off on the same kind of tear we're seeing from the 2019 edition, which has won nine of its last 10 contests.
ACU's win lifted its overall and conference records to 13-8 and 9-0, and gets them to within one victory of clinching sole possession of the league's regular-season title for the first time in team history. The only teams standing in its way are the Bears of Central Arkansas (Sunday) and Cowgirls of McNeese (next Saturday).
To win their first-ever match in Natchitoches, the Wildcats first claimed the doubles point in somewhat convincing fashion as senior
Jordan Henry's and freshman
Allison Stewarts' 6-2 triumph at No. 2 was followed quickly by a 6-3 victory from the No. 1 tandem of sophomore
Nini Memishishi and junior
Sarah Adams.
Memishishi and Adams have won their last five matches together in improving to 14-6 overall and 6-1 vs. league opposition, while Henry and Stewart remain undefeated vs. the Southland at 3-0.
The Wildcats went on to take a 3-0 lead after claiming straight-set wins at No. 3 and 5 by senior Autumn Bellow and Stewart. Bellow bested Patrycja Polanska 6-4, 6-2, for win No. 11 on the year, and Stewart defeated Antonia Blattner, 6-2, 6-3, for her fifth-straight win and ninth against the Southland.
The Lady Demons (16-5, 8-2 Southland) earned their first point at No. 6, where Judit Castillo beat sophomore
Ileana Mocciola, 6-4, 6-3, but the home team couldn't get closer as Henry sealed the win with a 6-4, 6-4 decision at No. 4 vs. Ela Iwaniuk.
Memishishi followed with an incredible comeback win over Maria Skyba, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, for her seventh conference victory and eighth at No. 1, and then NSU's Rhea Verma held off Adams at No. 2, 2-6, 6-1, 6-4.
The Bears are 2.0 games back of the Wildcats at 7-2 but have won their last two duals vs. ACU by the same 4-3 score.
Abilene Christian 5, Northwestern State 2
Apr 12, 2019 at Natchitoches, La. (Jack Fisher Tennis Complex)
Singles competition
1.
Nini Memishishi (ACU) def. Maria Skyba (NSU) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
2. Rhea Verma (NSU) def.
Sarah Adams (ACU) 2-6, 6-1, 6-4
3. Autumn Bellow (ACU) def. Patrycja Polanska (NSU) 6-4, 6-2
4.
Jordan Henry (ACU) def. Ela Iwaniuk (NSU) 6-4, 6-4
5.
Allison Stewart (ACU) def. Antonia Blattner (NSU) 6-2, 6-3
6. Judit Castillo (NSU) def.
Ileana Mocciola (ACU) 6-4, 6-3
Doubles competition
1.
Nini Memishishi/
Sarah Adams (ACU) def. Polina Mutel/Maria Skyba (NSU) 6-3
2.
Jordan Henry/
Allison Stewart (ACU) def. Patrycja Polanska/Rhea Verma (NSU) 6-2
3. Ela Iwaniuk/Emilija Dancetovic (NSU) def.
Ileana Mocciola/Autumn Bellow (ACU) 6-2
Match Notes
Abilene Christian 13-8, 9-0
Northwestern State 16-5, 8-2
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (5,3,6,4,1,2)
T-2:45 A-50
