Women's tennis season ends in Southland semis

BEAUMONT, Texas -- Abilene Christian women's tennis came up a point short in its quest to reach the Southland Conference Championship finals as the tournament's No. 6 seed as host and seventh-seeded Lamar avenged its regular-season loss to the Wildcats Sunday at the Beaumont Municipal Center, 4-3.

The Cardinals (10-7) advance to the league's title match 2 p.m. Monday vs. fourth-seeded Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, which blanked Stephen F. Austin, 4-0. The Wildcats, meanwhile, see their season end at 12-13.

ACU defeated Lamar 4-3 a month ago at the Eager Tennis Center thank to a doubles win and points at No. 3, 5 and 6. The Wildcats again today claimed those wins at the same singles positions but were upset in doubles as Natalie Molina and Elena Rodriguez turned the tables on junior Allison Stewart and Claire Fisher, 6-2. ACU's No. 2 duo beat the Cardinal tandem 6-4 in their prior meeting, while Wildcat seniors Nini Memishishi and Ileana Mocciola completed their season sweep of Bianca Vitale and Alba Perez, 6-1.

Unfortunately, Vitale would best Memishishi in the match-deciding contest as with the team score tied at three Vitale held off the native Georgian, 1-6, 6-3, 7-5. 

ACU had built itself a 3-2 lead with Fisher, sophomore Andrea Guerrero and Stewart all winning in succession after being down. Fisher and Stewart were both straight-set victors, while Guerrero's opponent Ana Jolic retired down 3-0 in the third set.

The Cardinals; however, would tie the match after Molina beat Mocciola in three sets at No. 4, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1.

Stewart finished the year as the Wildcats leader in singles (13) and doubles (16). Guerrero, who won both her matches this weekend, also finished with a winning singles record of 11-7 as she went 6-2 over her last eight matches.
 

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Lamar University 4, Abilene Christian 3
4/25/2021 at Beaumont, Texas (Beaumont Municipal Tennis Center)

Singles competition
1. Bianca Vitale (LU-W) def. Nini Memishishi (ACUW) 1-6, 6-3, 7-5
2. Elena Rodriguez (LU-W) def. Maryjoe Crisologo (ACUW) 6-3, 6-4
3. Allison Stewart (ACUW) def. Alba Perez (LU-W) 6-4, 6-3
4. Natalia Molina (LU-W) def. Ileana Mocciola (ACUW) 6-4, 4-6, 6-1
5. Andrea Guerrero (ACUW) def. Ana Jolic (LU-W) 3-6, 6-3, 3-0, retired
6. Claire Fisher (ACUW) def. Emmeline Polevoi (LU-W) 6-4, 6-2

Doubles competition
1. Nini Memishishi/Ileana Mocciola (ACUW) def. Bianca Vitale/Alba Perez (LU-W) 6-1
2. Natalia Molina/Elena Rodriguez (LU-W) def. Allison Stewart/Claire Fisher (ACUW) 6-2
3. Jayci Wong/Ana Jolic (LU-W) def. Maryjoe Crisologo/Andrea Guerrero (ACUW) 7-6 (7-2)

Match Notes
Lamar University 10-7
Abilene Christian 12-13
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (2,6,5,3,4,1)