Stephen F. Austin
Nicholls
Nicholls Outlasts SFA For 4-3 Decision
4/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Nicholls 4, Stephen F. Austin 3
Schlief Tennis Complex · Nacogdoches, Texas
Records: SFA (13-6, 7-1 SLC); NICH (17-4, 9-1 SLC)
Up Next: vs. Central Arkansas · Wednesday, Apr. 15 · Shreveport, La. · 12 p.m.
NACOGDOCHES, Texas -- Stephen F. Austin struck first in its key Southland Conference showdown with Nicholls, taking two of the three doubles matches. But the Colonels rebounded to win four of the six doubles matches, edging past the Ladyjacks 4-3 and handing SFA its first Southland Conference loss of the season.
"Hats off to Nicholls as they played really well in singles play and earned every inch of the win," said head coach Roberto Aspillaga. "There was a lot of hustle out there but unfortunately we had to do a bit more than that to win today. We lacked purpose and discipline to deal with the nerves in some courts and ultimately Nicholls was able to execute better under pressure."
In a battle of the top two teams in the SLC standings, SFA opened up strong in the doubles play as Julia Lorca and Denise Maxl earned an 8-4 decision in the No. 2 position, offsetting an 8-4 loss by SFA in the No. 1 spot. Vivienne Kulicke and Valeria Terentyeva then recorded an 8-4 win at the No. 3 spot, giving SFA the early 1-0 win.
But Nicholls rebounded in the singles competition, opening up with convincing victories at the No. 2 and No. 4 position. Kulicke got the Ladyjacks on the board with a 6-2, 6-4 victory at No. 3, followed by Gordo dropping a 6-4, 6-2 decision at the No. 1 spot as Nicholls grabbed the 3-2 lead.
No. 5 Terentyeva earned a key win at the No. 5 spot, outlasting Katya Nakonechnaya 6-3, 7-6, pulling the two teams even at 3-3, leaving the outcome to be determined at the No. 6 position. Lorca pushed Isla Brock to a third set but fell 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, clinching the match for Nicholls.
With the loss, SFA falls a game back of Nichols in the conference standings due to the fact the Colonels have played two more matches than the Ladyjacks, sitting at 9-1 compared to SFA's 7-1 mark. With three matches left, SFA still controls its own destiny when it comes to at least a share of the SLC title.
"The good news is that the girls continue to fight and that is something that will grant them opportunities," Aspillaga said. "Right now we have the opportunity to share a conference regular season championship if we take care of business for the rest of the season."
The final three matches of the year will all be played on the road, beginning Wednesday against Central Arkansas. The match, originally scheduled to be played in Nacogdoches but forced to be rescheduled due to weather, will be played in Shreveport, La., getting underway at 12 p.m.
Nicholls 4, Stephen F. Austin 3
Singles Competition
#1 -- Stephanie Barnett (NICH) def. Malena Gordo (SFA) 6-4, 6-2
#2 -- Klara Skopac (NICH) def. Denise Maxl (SFA) 6-2, 6-0
#3 -- Vivienne Kulicke (SFA) def. Marie Aubert (NICH) 6-2, 6-4
#4 -- Milou Pietersz (NICH) def. Dhanielly Quevedo (SFA) 6-2, 6-1
#5 -- Valeria Terentyeva (SFA) def. Katya Nakonechnaya (NICH) 6-3, 7-6 (5)
#6 -- Isla Brock (NICH) def. Julia Lorca (SFA) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
Doubles Competition
#1 -- Klara Skopac/Stephanie Barnett (NICH) def. Malena Gordo/Dhanielly Quevedo (SFA) 8-4
#2 -- Julia Lorca/Denise Maxl (SFA) def. Marie Aubert/Milou Pietersz (NICH) 8-4
#3 -- Vivienne Kulicke/Valeria Terentyeva (SFA) def. Katya Nakonechnaya/Isla Brock (NICH) 8-4
-SFA-
Players Mentioned
