Lady Bulldog Netters Lose Heart Breaker To No. 33 South Carolina
The Lady Bulldogs won the doubles point to start the match. State has won doubles in three of the last four matches the team has played. Hayley Rudman and Tarryn Rudman won their match against Fallon Koon and Christyn Lucas at No. 2, 8-6. Clinching the point, MSU?s duo of Magdi Rekasi and Anastasia Kugakolova defeated Laura Ganzer and Danielle Wiggins in an 8-5 decision at the first position. Marcelle Hirt and Justyna Switala fell 8-4 to Ayako Suzuki and Magda Wojdylo on court three.
Finishing first in singles, Hirt fell 6-0, 6-0 to No. 73 Wiggins on court one. USC?s Koon took the match at No. 5 over MSU?s Hayley Rudman, 6-3, 6-1, putting South Carolina up 2-1. Magdi Rekasi defeated Wojdylo 6-3, 6-1 at No. 4, tying the team score at 2-2.
The Gamecocks pulled ahead with a victory on court six. Justine Walsh defeated Justyna Switala in a 7-5, 6-1 decision. Tying the team score, Freshman Tarryn Rudman won her three-set match at No. 3 over Ganzer, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.
The team match came down to MSU?s Kugakolova and USC?s Lucas at the second spot. Lucas won the first set 6-3. Kugakolova was up 5-4 in the second set, but Lucas came back and won two straight matches. Kugakolova fell 7-5 in a hard-fought final game of the second set, giving South Carolina the match winning point.
Next, the Lady Bulldogs conclude regular season play on Saturday, April 10, against in-state rival Mississippi. The match is set to begin at 1 p.m. at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.
No. 33 South Carolina 4, Mississippi State 3
Doubles
1. Rekasi/Kugakolova (MSU) def. Ganzer/Wiggins (USC) 8-5
2. Rudman/Rudman (MSU) def. Koon/Lucas (USC) 8-6
3. Suzuki/Wojdylo (USC) def. Hirt/Switala (MSU) 8-4
Singles
1. #73 Danielle Wiggins (USC) def. Marcelle Hirt (MSU) 6-0, 6-0
2. Christyn Lucas (USC) def. Anastasia Kugakolova (MSU) 6-3, 7-5
3. Tarryn Rudman (MSU) def. Laura Ganzer (USC) 2-6, 6-4, 6-3
4. Magdi Rekasi (MSU) def. Magda Wojdylo (USC) 6-3, 6-1
5. Fallon Koon (USC) def. Hayley Rudman (MSU) 6-3, 6-1
6. Justine Walsh (USC) def. Justyna Switala (MSU) 7-5, 6-1