Texas Tech Athletics
Missouri
Tech Beats Missouri 4-3 on the Road
March 27, 2009 | Women's Tennis
March 27, 2009
LUBBOCK, Texas - The Texas Tech women's tennis squad, after learning of the birth of head coach Todd Petty's son Colt Rusk a day earlier, defeated Missouri 4-3 in Columbia, Missouri for its second conference victory.
The Lady Raiders (7-9, 2-3) received coaching from men's assistant coach Marcelo Ferreira and manager Tyson Da'dosta while coach Petty was with his wife and new son.
The doubles action started with Tech sweeping the doubles point. The No. 2 duo of Kerryn Potgieter and Stefanie Peana beating Jessica Giuggioli and Kaitlyn Ritchie 8-5. The Lady Raiders took the No. 3 doubles match as Natalie Leitch and Simone Templeton won 9-8 (7-3) over Danielle Day and Sofia Ayala.
The No. 44 ranked duo of Samantha van der Drift and Kelsy Garland stayed unbeaten in conference play as they beat Jamie Mera and Mallory Weber 9-8 (15-13). Tech pushed its lead to 2-0 as Leitch won the No. 4 match 6-3, 6-3 over Kaitlyn Ritchie. Garland fell 6-1, 6-4 to Mallory Weber in the No. 2 match to make the score 2-1.
Van der Drift went into the No. 1 match with the opportunity to become the all-time winningest women's tennis player in school history and she delivered in a three-set thriller. The senior took the first set 6-2, but ended up dropping the second 4-6. She battled back and the third set went to a tie-break before van der Drift won 7-6 (7-3) over Giuggioli. The win gives van der Drift her 75th career victory passing Janet Durham.
Missouri fought back in the No. 3 match as Mera beat Templton 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 and then the score was evened at 3-3 when Potgieter dropped her match to Ayala 6-4, 6-2 at the No. 6 position.
The final match came down to the No. 5 position. Peana took the first set for Tech 6-2, but Day won the second 3-6 sending it to the deciding third set. Peana put away the set 6-3 giving Tech the victory.
The win is the third victory in the series for Tech.
The Lady Raiders return to action on Sunday at 11 a.m. (MST) in Boulder, Colo., as they take on Colorado.
Doubles Results (2,3*,1)
No. 1 Samantha van der Drift and Kelsy Garland (TTU) def. Mallory Weber and Jamie Mera (MIZ) 9-8 (14) No. 2 Stefanie Peana and Kerryn Potgieter (TTU) def. Jessica Giuggioli and Kaitlyn Ritchie (MIZ) 8-5 No. 3 Natalie Leitch and Simone Templeton (TTU) def. Sofia Ayala and Danielle Day (MIZ) 9-8 (4)
Singles Results (4,2,1,3,6,5#)
No. 1 Samantha van der Drift (TTU) def. Jessica Giuggioli (MIZ) 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (3) No. 2 Mallory Weber (MIZ) def. Kelsy Garland (TTU) 6-1, 6-3 No. 3 Jamie Mera (MIZ) def. Simone Templeton (TTU) 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 No. 4 Natalie Leitch (TTU) def. Kaitlyn Ritchie (MIZ) 6-4, 6-4 No. 5 Stefanie Peana (TTU) def. Danielle Day (MIZ) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 No. 6 Maureen Modesto (MIZ) def. Kerryn Potgieter (TTU) 6-4, 6-2
Players Mentioned
