Lady Dogs Rally In Singles, Down Arkansas 4-3
May 25, 2016 | Women's Tennis
State improved to 5-14, but more importantly claimed its first conference win of the season to move ahead of Arkansas (6-13, 0-10) in the SEC Western Division standings. The victory makes it two straight for State against the Lady Razorbacks, and it cuts UA?s edge in the series to 6-5.
Head coach Tracy Lane's Lady Bulldogs dropped a pair of close doubles matches to go down 1-0 on senior day at the UA Varsity Courts. The Lady Razorback tandem of Anna Dybicz and Megan Ferreira held off a tough fight from freshman Magdolna Rekasi and Camila Sagae to claim an 8-5 win. UA then clinched the pint as Iliana Pancheco and Adriana Lopez posted a tight 8-6 victory over senior Carole Soubis and Yumi Ueda.
Arkansas had not lost this season when winning the doubles point, but that was not the case Sunday as the Lady Dogs rallied to win three of the six singles contests contested after MSU won at No. 6 by default.
"I thought we came out a little nervous in doubles today," Lane said. "Give the girls credit, however. They fought hard in singles and won the three matches they needed to win. This was a big win for us today. I am very pleased with this win, and we needed this win heading into the final stretch of the season."
Sophomore Justyna Switala put the Lady Dogs on track to snapping an 11-match losing skid as she rolled to a 6-2, 6-1 win over Christian Kincannon at the No. 5 spot. Pacheco tied the match at 2-2 as she notched a 6-1, 6-3 win over junior Elaine Fagan, but MSU regained the lead with Soubis? straight-set win over Adriana Lopez at the No. 1 position. Soubis clinched the first set in a tiebreak, but then she picked up momentum in the second to post a 7-6 (3), 6-3 win.
Sagae had to go the full three sets for the second straight match, but unlike the first, she was able to hold on for a big victory that clinched the team win for State. The Sao Paulo, Brazil, native took the first set in convincing 6-3 fashion over Ferreira, but the Lady Razorback rallied to take the third. The final set belonged to Sagae, as she blanked Ferreira to claim the 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 win.
Dybicz cut the lead to its final margin as she handed Rekasi her second straight loss at the No. 2 position with a 6-4, 6-4 victory.
State returns home Friday to host in-state rival Mississippi in the season finale. Match time for the SEC battle is set for 2:30 p.m.
Mississippi State 4, Arkansas 3
April 7, 2002; Fayetteville, Ark.
Doubles -- Anna Dybicz/Megan Ferreira (UA) def. Camila Sagae/Magdolna Rekasi (MSU) 8-5; Iliana Pacheco/Adriana Lopez (UA) def. Yumi Ueda/Carole Soubis (MSU) 8-6; Elaine Fagan/Justyna Sitala (MSU) by default.
Singles -- Soubis (MSU) def. Lopez (UA) 7-6(3), 6-3; Dybicz (UA) def. Rekasi (MSU) 6-4, 6-4; Sagae (MSU) def. Ferreira (UA) 6-3, 4-6, 6-0; Pacheco (UA) def. Fagan (MSU) 6-1, 6-3; Switala (MSU) def. Kincannon (UA) 6-2, 6-1; Ueda (MSU) by default.
