Stephen F. Austin
SMU
SFA Drops Three Over Weekend In Dallas
2/16/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Feb. 16, 2009
DALLAS, Texas - The Ladyjack tennis team fell in matches to Memphis, Missouri and No. 75 SMU over the weekend to fall to 1-5 on the year.
SFA played well on the Friday at host SMU, the 75th-ranked team in the nation in the latest poll, but still fell by a 5-0 score as the Mustangs improved to 9-1 on the year. Neither No. 1 or No. 2 singles play was finished against the Mustangs, despite Alina Shazkho leading 4-3 in the second set of her match after falling 4-6 in the first set to Sophie Quist.
Shazkho picked up the only point for the Ladyjacks on the weekend on Sunday against Memphis. She knocked off the Tigers' Marjorie Ondeck (6-3, 4-6, 6-2) to move to 3-1 in No. 2 singles action this year; however, the Ladyjacks still fell to the Tigers 6-1. Gabriela Gadeva had a chance to score in No. 4 singles, winning the first set before dropping the final two sets to Lindsey Wiseman (4-6, 6-4, 6-4). Tatiana Smolnikova also made a push to get in the scoring column as well, dropping her match at No. 5 singles to Robyn Jones (6-4, 2-6, 6-3).
Against Missouri, things did not go much better as the Tigers were just coming off an upset win of SMU earlier that morning. Missouri continued their hot play against the Ladyjacks, picking up a 7-0 win. Roxana Enica pushed the Tigers top play, Jessica Giuggioli, to the limit in No. 2 singles, though, winning the first set before falling in a tieberaker (4-6, 6-4, 10-7). Unfortunately that was the extent of the good fortune for the Ladyjacks against the Tigers as Missouri won each of the other singles matches in straight sets, including a sweep of doubles play.
SFA will hit the road this week for its longest road trip of the season in terms of distance, traveling to Florida for matches against Rollins College and Stetson. SFA takes on Rollins in Winter Park, Fla. At 3:30 p.m. on Friday before battling Stetson in DeLand, Fla., at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Those will prove as the final non-conference action for SFA before opening up SLC play in Lake Charles, La. against McNeese State on Feb. 28.
-SFA-
