BEAUMONT, Texas – The No. 5 seed Texas A&M - Corpus Christi women's tennis team dropped a tough 4-1 loss to No. 4 seed McNeese State today in a match that featured four three-set singles matches in the opening round of the Southland Conference Tournament at the Beaumont Municipal Tennis Center. The Cowgirls secured the doubles point before winning a pair of three-setters and a straight-set win.
"Give credit to McNeese," Director of Tennis Steve Moore said. "They won an amazing college tennis match today. Just an old fashioned battle. This is really what it's all about even if you lose, fighting as hard as you can with toughness and fitness. Even with our season ending today, I can't express how proud I am of the character of these girls.
"They make me believe even more in the philosophy of totally selling out to assemble a team of high-character players only because they never quit and never break your heart by not showing up to play hard, even if they start slow."
Sophomore Kerry Galhos clinched the Islanders lone win today at No. 5 singles while the two remaining matches of senior Chelsea Horan and junior Celia Rodriguez were in the third set when the match was clinched. The Islanders finish the season with a 13-9 record.
The Cowgirls (13-7) jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after posting wins on courts two and three in doubles play. Sarah Jurakova and Vivien Borbely topped the Islanders' pair of Venesa Figueroa and Maider Martin at No. 3 doubles before the freshman-senior duo of Jelena Dzinic and Horan fell 8-4 to Julia Kral and Hannah Brett. In No. 1 singles, the tandem of Rodriguez and sophomore Judit Vives was ahead 6-4 over Klaudia Gawlik and Anastasija Trubich when the point was clinched.
In singles play, Martin came up short 6-4, 6-0 to Jurakova at No. 4 singles. The junior had a solid year, finishing with a 17-4 overall mark at No. 4 singles. Galhos put the Islanders on the board with a 6-4, 6-1 win at No. 6 singles over Trubich before the Cowgirls pulled away with a 3-1 lead. Vives fell in three sets at No. 2 singles to Kral. The sophomore dropped a 6-3 first-set loss before bouncing back to win the second set, 6-1. In the third, Vives fell, 6-1.
The final three matches of Dzinic, Rodriguez and Horan came down to three-setters. At No. 1 singles, Dzinic lost a 6-3 first-set to Gawlik before rallying back to win 6-1 in the second. In the third, Dzinic was ahead 5-3 before Gawlik rallied back to earn four straight games to win 7-5 and clinch the match.
Rodriguez was neck-and-neck with Brett at No. 3 singles while Horan was battling Borbely at No. 5 singles. Rodriguez won the first set 6-1 before falling 6-3 in the second. In the third, Rodriguez fell behind 5-1, before rallying back to win three straight games and cut Brett's lead to 5-4. In the No. 5 slot, Horan squeezed out a tight 7-6 (1) first-set win before coming up short 6-3 in the second. In the third, the senior was ahead 3-1 when the match was secured.
"It's really hard to say goodbye to kids as special as Chelsea Horan and Venesa Figueroa," Moore added. "I guess if there is a negative to high-character players is that it hurts 10 times more to tell them goodbye. I'm so proud of the culture of these girls. Islanders family always."
The No. 60 nationally-ranked Islanders men's team (17-6, 5-0 SLC) and defending Southland Conference Tournament champions will open the tournament in the semifinal round on Saturday, April 25, at 2 p.m. against No. 4 seed Nicholls. The Islanders clinched the No. 1 seed after securing their eighth consecutive Southland Conference regular-season title with a 5-0 record.
Admission is free for all matches and for more information on the tournament click HERE.
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Tennis Match Results
Texas A&M - Corpus Christi vs. McNeese
4/24/2015 at Beaumont, Texas
McNeese 4, Texas A&M - Corpus Christi 1
Singles competition
1. Klaudia Gawlik (MCN) def. Jelena Dzinic (AMCC) 6-3, 1-6, 7-5
2. Julia Kral (MCN) def. Judit Vives (AMCC) 6-3, 1-6, 6-1
3. Hannah Brett (MCN) vs. Celia Rodriguez (AMCC) 1-6, 6-3, 5-4, unfinished
4. Sarah Jurakova (MCN) def. Maider Martin (AMCC) 6-4, 6-0
5. Vivien Borbely (MCN) vs. Chelsea Horan (AMCC) 6-7 (1-7), 6-3, 1-3, unfinished
6. Kerry Galhos (AMCC) def. Anastasija Trubich (MCN) 6-4, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. Klaudia Gawlik/Anastasija Trubich (MCN) vs. Judit Vives/Celia Rodriguez (AMCC) 4-6, unfinished
2. Julia Kral/Hannah Brett (MCN) def. Jelena Dzinic/Chelsea Horan (AMCC) 8-4
3. Sarah Jurakova/Vivien Borbely (MCN) def. Maider Martin/Venesa Figueroa (AMCC) 8-4
Match Notes:
Texas A&M - Corpus Christi 13-9
McNeese 13-7
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (4,6,2,1)
Match two of Southland Conference Tournament
McNeese State - 4 seed
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi - 5 seed
McNeese State Advances to SLC Semifinals
