ABILENE -- Abilene Christian women's tennis improved to 4-0 at home this spring following its 4-2 triumph over Wichita State, avenging last year's 6-1 loss to the Shockers in Stillwater, Okla.
The Wildcats won their sixth doubles point of the season, topping the Shocker's No. 1 and 2 lines by scores of 6-4 and 7-5, and received singles points from senior
Nini Memishishi, junior
Sylvia Viljoen and sophomore
Andrea Guerrero, who clinched the match with her three-set win at No. 6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.
Memishishi's and Viljoen's wins at No. 1 and 2 put the Wildcats ahead 3-1, but the Shockers struck back at No. 4, where Jessie Zheng held off junior
Allison Stewart, 6-2, 1-6, 6-4.
"We were in the same situation as Sunday vs. New Mexico," said Director of Tennis Juan Nunez, "up 3-2 in the match count and leading on both courts. This time though we closed it out, and I couldn't be prouder of the girls and coach (Bryan) Rainwater. They competed well and really deserved it after that tough loss against New Mexico. It was the perfect end to non-conference season."
Next up for the Wildcats is their first Southland Conference weekend, which will take them to McNeese (Friday) and Southeastern Louisiana (Sunday). The Cowgirls are 0-7 and the Lions are 2-4, but as Nunez and other coaches say, 'the matches aren't played on paper.'
"I don't care about rankings, records and UTR ratings," he said. "We'll win if we're out there playing for each other. We're starting to believe, and if we want to accomplish our goal of winning the Southland Conference then it all has to start with belief and trust. Wednesday's win was a step in the right direction and I was happy to see the players rewarded with a victory."
Abilene Christian 4, Wichita State 2
Feb 24, 2021 at Abilene, Texas (Eager Tennis Center)
Singles competition
1.
Nini Memishishi (ACUW) def. Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva (WSU) 6-3, 6-3
2.
Sylvia Viljoen (ACUW) def. Marta Bellucco (WSU) 6-4, 6-2
3. Natsumi Kurahashi (WSU) def.
Maryjoe Crisologo (ACUW) 6-2, 6-0
4. Jessie Zheng (WSU) def.
Allison Stewart (ACUW) 6-2, 1-6, 6-4
5.
Ileana Mocciola (ACUW) vs. Ting-Ya Hsu (WSU) 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 3-4, unfinished
6.
Andrea Guerrero (ACUW) def. Alexandra Lazarova (WSU) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
Doubles competition
1.
Nini Memishishi/
Ileana Mocciola (ACUW) def. Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva/Marta Bellucco (WSU) 6-4
2.
Allison Stewart/
Sylvia Viljoen (ACUW) def. Ting-Ya Hsu/Jessie Zheng (WSU) 7-5
3. Alexandra Lazarova/Natsumi Kurahashi (WSU) def.
Maryjoe Crisologo/
Andrea Guerrero (ACUW) 6-0
Match Notes
Wichita State 3-6
Abilene Christian 4-7
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (3,2,1,4,6)
