Texas Tech Athletics
Middle Tennessee State
Women's Tennis Tops Blue Raiders 5-2
February 23, 2007 | Women's Tennis
Feb. 23, 2007
LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech women's tennis took down the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders today, 5-2, as they returned outside to the McLeod Tennis Center. Next up, the No. 53 Lady Raiders face top ranked BYU, which will be the first meeting between the two in 25 years.
In doubles, Tech showcased new pairings in both the No. 2 and 3 spots. The switch again proved wise on behalf of head Coach Cari Groce as both duos notched in the first two wins of the day. The team of senior Lakann Wagley and junior Brenna Jackson defeated Blue Raiders' Chemin and Siljestrom, 8-2, putting Tech on the board first heading into singles competition.
The last doubles pair on the court was Tech's new No. 1 undefeated pair of junior Janet Durham and sophomore Samantha van der Drift. The two squeaked by Middle Tennessee's Sufi and Szabo coming ahead in the tiebreaker, and winning 8-7. Durham and van der Drift improve to 6-0 overall, 2-0 in the No. 1 position.
The Red Raiders jumped right into singles as they secured three consecutive wins. Wagley was the first to strike over MTSU's Ann-Kristin Siljestrom, 6-3, 6-0, followed by freshman Kerryn Potgieter in the No. 5 spot over junior Claudia Szabo, 6-3, 6-2. Durham put away any hopes of a comeback for the Blue Raiders as she edged Marlene Chemin, 6-1, 6-3, giving her team the win.
Tech's only two losses of the day came at the hands of MTSU's No. 45 ranked Hala Sufi and Stephanie Parkison. Sufi defeated van der Drift in the No. 1 spot 6-4, 6-0, giving van der Drift her second singles loss of the season.
The final match of the day was a heated battle between Tech's Anne Sophie Fankam and MTSU's Stephanie Parkison. The two went toe-to-toe as Parkison won the first set 7-5, and Fankam retaliating in the second winning the tiebreaker 12-10. In a super-tiebreaker third set, the score went back-and-forth with Parkison eventually pulling ahead with the win over Fankam, 12-10
The Lady Raiders return to action tomorrow, Feb. 24, at 5 p.m. under the lights at the McLeod Tennis Center. For more information and complete results visit www.texastech.com.
#53 Texas Tech 5 Middle Tennessee State 2
Doubles: 3, 2*, 1
1. Durham/van der Drift (TTU) def. Sufi/Szabo (MTSU), 8-7 (6)
2. Jackson/Wagley (TTU) def. Chemin/Siljestrom (MTSU), 8-2
3. Fankam/Potgeiter (TTU) def. Kommireddi/Parkison (MTSU), 8-3
Singles: 2, 5, 3*, 6, 1, 4
1. Hala Sufi (MTSU) def. Samantha van der Drift (TTU), 6-4, 6-0
2. Lakann Wagley (TTU) def. Ann-Kristin Siljestrom (MTSU), 6-3, 6-0
3. Janet Durham (TTU) def. Marlene Chemin (MTSU), 6-1, 6-3
4. Stephanie Parkison (MTSU) def. Anne Sophie Fankam (TTU), 7-5, 6-7 (10), 12-10
5. Kerryn Potgieter (TTU) def. Claudia Szabo (MTSU), 6-3, 6-2
6. Maria Jose Andres (TTU) def. Pooja Kommireddi (MTSU), 7-5, 6-0
Extra Matches:
Elvira Yusupova (MTSU) def. Yaroslava Balakhonova (TTU), 6-3, 6-2
Emmanuelle Cruz (MTSU) def. Molly Cook (TTU), 6-0, 6-0
Players Mentioned
