MSU Womenb(TM)s Tennis Notches First Win Of 2006 Against UAB, 6-1
State got on the board first with the doubles point, winning at the No. 2 and No. 3 positions. The tandem of Martina Banikova and Elna de Villiers topped UAB's pair of Gulsah Esen and Ornischa Maier-Knapp 8-4. At No. 3 Renee Joseph and Daniela Juskova won 8-6 against Antonia Nugent and Seden Soyalp.
Senior Anastasia Kugakolova handled Maier-Knapp in straight sets 6-4, 6-2, along with MState freshman Martina Banikova's 7-5, 6-1 win over Annemieke Elsholz. Tatiana Feit's 6-3, 7-5 victory at No. 6 clinched the win for MSU head coach Tracy Lane's squad.
With her win on Thursday, Kugakolova has moved into eighth-place on State's career singles list with 58 overall wins.
This was a well-earned win for us,' said Tracy Lane. The previous four matches could have gone either way. We did not play our best today, but we found a way to win. This was a good start for us.
Sophomore Polina Kokoulina fought back to win after dropping her first set 6-0 to UAB's Samrin Tanzeem. Kokoulina came away with 6-3, 6-2 wins in the second and third sets respectively. Freshman Daniela Juskova followed Kokoulina's suit dropping the opening set 6-3, she battled back to top Esen 6-4, 6-4.
The Maroon and White returns to the courts Saturday, Feb. 18, to face No. 61 and Big 12 foe Texas Tech. Match time is slated for 1 p.m. at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre. In case of bad weather, the match will be moved indoors to MSU's McCarthy Gymnasium.
Mississippi State 6, UAB 1
Doubles
1. Annemieke Elsholz/Julia von Samson (UAB) def. Anastasia Kugakolova/Polina Kokoulina 8-7(4).
2. Martina Banikova/Elna de Villiers (MSU) def. Gulsah Esen/Ornischa Maier-Knapp (UAB) 8-4.
3. Renee Joseph/Daniela Juskova (MSU) def. Antonia Nugent/Seden Soyalp (UAB) 8-6.
Singles
1. Anastasia Kugakolova (MSU) def. Ornischa Maier-Knapp (UAB) 6-4, 6-2
2. Julia von Samson (UAB) def. Renee Joseph (MSU) 6-3, 5-7, 6-2
3. Martina Banikova (MSU) def. Annemieke Elsholz (UAB) 7-5, 6-1
4. Daniela Juskova (MSU) def. Gulsah Esen (UAB) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
5. Polina Kokoulina (MSU) def. Samrin Tanzeem (UAB) 0-6, 6-3, 6-2
6. Tatiana Feit (MSU) def. Seden Soyalp (UAB) 6-3, 7-5