Houston Storms Back To Defeat Lady Bulldog Netters 4-3
The two squads split in doubles at No. 1 and No. 3 with the deciding doubles match between MSU's Martina Banikova and Elna de Villiers facing UH's Kami Miller and Yolandi Terblanche. The UH duo took the match clinching point 8-6.The loss snapped the Maroon and White's eight-match winning streak in season openers. It marks the first time the Lady Bulldogs have dropped the season-opening match since the 1998 season.
State's tandem of Anastasia Kugakolova and Polina Kokoulina posted the squad's lone win in doubles; topping UH's pairing of Loli Gomez and Sonja Nikolic.
MSU jumped out 3-0 on the visiting Cougars taking singles matches at the No 1, No 2 and No. 3 positions. Kugakolova breezed past UH's Loli Gomez 6-0, 6-0. MState sophomore Renee Joseph won 6-1, 6-2 over Brianna Bateup, while Banikova notched her first collegiate dual match victory with a 6-3, 6-2 decision over Sonja Nikolic. At No. 6 Terblanche and MSU's Tatiana Feit battled in three sets with the first two going to tie breakers, 7-6 (7), 7-6(4). Terblanche prevailed in the final set 6-2.
MState continues its season-opening weekend on Saturday, Feb. 4, taking on the Trojans from Troy University. That match is set for 1 p.m.
Houston 4, #33 Mississippi State 3
Doubles
1. Kugakolova/Kokoulina (MSU) def. Gomez/Nikolic (UH) 8-2
2. Bateup/Simpson (UH) def. Joseph/Juskova (MSU) 8-2
3. Miller/Terblanche (UH) def. Banikova/de Villiers 8-6
Singles
1. Anastasia Kugakolova (MSU) def. Loli Gomez (UH) 6-0, 6-0
2. Renee Joseph (MSU) def. Brianna Bateup (UH) 6-1, 6-2
3. Martina Banikova(MSU) def. Sonja Nikolic (UH) 6-2, 6-3
4. Kami Miller (UH) def. Polina Kokoulina (MSU) 6-2, 6-1
5. Vicky Simpson (UH) def. Elna de Villiers (MSU) 7-6(7), 6-3
6. Yolandi Terblanche (UH) def. Tatiana Feit (MSU) 7-6(7), 7-6(4), 6-2