KINGSVILLE, Texas – The Texas A&M University-Kingsville women's tennis program had strong outings from four of the six singles matches, along with one doubles match, but couldn't overcome visiting Tampa on Wednesday at the Javelina Tennis Courts.
The Javelinas (4-6) had three singles matches go the distance, but the Spartans (6-4) ended up on top after the lengthy battles.
Tampa took the Nos. 1 and 2 doubles, while
Stephanie Baerman and
Laura Montalvo battled back from a 7-2 deficit and closed in at one game at 7-6 in the No. 3 doubles matchup.
The duo were unable to get over the hump, unfortunately, as Lilley Nice and Emily Hewland took the matchup at 8-6.
Baerman rebounded in the No. 6 singles matchup with a hard-fought 7-5 win in the first set over Amanda Baxter before taking a 6-4 decision in the second set for the lone win on the day for TAMUK.
Tampa took the Nos. 2 and 3 singles matches in straight sets, despite the latter between
Julia Rauer and Vanina Iordanova taking well over two hours as Rauer fought through long rallies in both sets before Iordanova took the matchup at 7-5, 6-2.
Nice bested Montalvo in the No. 4 singles matchup that went to three sets as Montalvo took the first at 6-3 before the Spartan took the final two at 6-3 and 6-2.
Corbin Dorsey took the No. 5 singles matchup over
Valerie Ruiz after Ruiz forced a third set with a 6-4 win in the second, but Dorsey took the matchup with a 6-1 decision in the third.
Victoria Romanovskaia and Caroline Rozo were locked in a back-and-forth affair at the No. 1 singles as Rozo took the first set at 6-4 before Romanovskaia fought back with a 6-3 win in the second.
Neither side held the upper hand in the third set, eventually going to tiebreaker, but Rozo ended up on top with a 7-6 final in the set to finalize the team score at 8-1 favoring the visitors.
The Javelinas will head out on the road this weekend as they take a three-match tour of the Front Range. TAMUK will first face Colorado College on Sunday, March 11, in Colorado Springs, Colo., before tackling Metro State in Denver on Tuesday, March 13, and wrapping up with a matchup against CSU-Pueblo in Pueblo, Colo., on Wednesday, March 14.
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