Stephen F. Austin
Lamar University
Southland Conference Play Begins for SFA who Hosts Lamar and Sam Houston State
3/2/2018 9:13:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Ladyjacks go in search of first win of 2018 as league play starts
Match Eight
Stephen F. Austin (0-7, 0-0 Southland) vs. Lamar (1-5, 0-0 Southland)
Saturday, March 3 | Noon | Schlief Tennis Complex | Nacogdoches, Texas
Match Nine
Stephen F. Austin (0-7, 0-0 Southland) vs. Sam Houston State (5-2, 0-0 Southland)
Sunday, March 4 | Noon | Schlief Tennis Complex | Nacogdoches, Texas
THE FIRST SERVE
• With seven non-conference matches under its belt, the Stephen F. Austin tennis team returns to the Schlief Tennis Complex to begin Southland Conference action. The Ladyjacks' 11-match league schedule begins Saturday at noon against Lamar before SFA closes out their home stand with a noon matchup with Sam Houston State on Sunday.
• The Ladyjacks hope Southland Conference play will signal a return to the win column. SFA has not yet won a match this season and is on a 12-match losing skid dating back to the 2017 campaign. SFA is in search of its first home win in almost a full calendar year, too, with the Ladyjacks' last win at the Schlief Tennis Complex coming on Sunday, March 12, 2017 against McNeese (5-2).
• Sophomores Siân Payne and Darinka Tiboldi have each posted a pair of SFA's five singles wins this season. As a team, the Ladyjacks are 5-31 (.139) in single play.
• Tiblodi has teamed with Nida Kamal in doubles play and together the pair has posted a 3-2 showing in the number-one flight. Those three wins are the fourth-most by a number-one doubles team in the Southland Conference.
SCOUTING LAMAR | ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATISTICS
• Outside of a 4-0 victory over Prairie View A&M in their third match of the 2018 season, the Cardinals have struggled though their early non-conference schedule and come into Nacogdoches on a three-match losing skid. Those last three setbacks have come at the hands of UTRGV (5-2 on Feb. 17), Eastern Michigan (4-3 on Feb. 22) and South Alabama (5-2 on Feb. 24).
• Four of the Cardinals' 10 wins in singles play have come courtesy of Sanja Jolic who has posted a 4-2 record thus far in 2018. Jolic has posted all four of her triumphs in the number-two singles flight where she is 4-1. Minus the 4-2 record of Jolic, Lamar's singles mark this season stands at 6-20 (.231).
• A driving force behind the majority of the Cardinals' successes in doubles play, too, Jolic has teamed with Milena Belianovich on the number-three doubles line to post a perfect 3-0 mark. As a squad, Lamar has gone 6-7 (.462) in doubles play this spring.
SCOUTING SAM HOUSTON STATE | ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATISTICS
• Depending on the Bearkats' result at Northwestern State on Friday afternoon, they could ride into Nacogdoches either on a five-match winning streak or winners of four of their last five. Through a 5-2 non-conference slate before Southland play begins this weekend, Sam Houston State's last four matches have been wins at UTSA (6-1 on Feb. 3), against Louisiana Tech (5-2 on Feb. 9), against New Mexico State (6-0 on Feb. 17) and against UTRGV (4-3 on Feb. 18).
• One of only two Southland Conference players who possess a perfect 6-0 record in singles action, Lusine Chobanyan has been a solid player in either the fifth or sixth singles flight for the Bearkats. Five of her six win have come on the sixth line with her remaining victory coming on line five.
• Carrie Casey has posted six singles wins for the Bearkats as well through her seven matches on the third and fourth lines. She has gone 5-1 in the number-four slot with her remaining win coming in the number-three flight.
• One of the best number-one line singles players in the Southland, Fabienne Gettwart has gone 5-2 in the top spot so far this season and between herself, Casey and Chobanyan 17 of the Bearkats' 27 singles wins are represented. As a team, Sam Houston State is 27-14 in singles action.
• Doubles play has been more of a hit-or-miss proposition for the Bearkats who are 8-7 (.533) in tandem matches this spring Roos Gerritsen and Sahaja Yamalapalli have done a good job of holding down the number-three tandem flight and have a 3-1 record to show for it but each of Sam Houston State's other two primary doubles teams are below the .500 mark.
COMING UP NEXT
• A stretch of seven-straight Southland Conference matches for the Ladyjacks continues next weekend when SFA travels to Louisiana. The Ladyjacks' weekend in the Pelican State starts Saturday, March 10, at 1:00 p.m. when they take on Nicholls before the squad heads to Lake Charles, La., for a 1:00 p.m. matchup with McNeese on Sunday, March 11.
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Players Mentioned
