Rice University
FIU
C-USA Streak Ends with Loss to FIU
4/22/2018 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
by Chuck Pool (cpool@rice.edu) -
The Rice's five-year reign as Conference USA women's tennis champions came to an end on Sunday as 37th ranked FIU outlasted the Owls 4-3 to claim the conference title at the Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center in Nofolk, Virginia.
The third consecutive meeting between the two schools to decide the C-USA Champion was in doubt until Maryna Veksler defeated Fernanda Astete in the third set of the day's final match. The win was the first for the Panthers in four meetings with Rice.
"Our team left everything they had out there and we just came out on the wrong end of a really good college tennis match," Rice head coach Elizabeth Schmidt said. "It hurts but this team has grown a lot this season and we have a ton to be grateful for."
FIU struck early, handing the Owls their first loss of the doubles point in a C-USA Championship match since 2012. Faced with challenge of generating four points in singles, the Owls were able to secure three in straight sets and saw Astete battle back from a loss in her opening set to force a third.
Senior Savannah Durkin closed out a stellar run of singles play at the conference tournament by running her career mark to 10-0 with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Mina Markovic to tie the match at 1-1.
After FIU jumped back in front 2-1, freshmen Michaela Haet and Anna Bowtell each needed a 10-8 win in a second-set tiebreaker to move the Owls to within one point to clinch a sixth straight title.
After a Panther win on court two, the championship outcome fell to court four where Astete had forced a third set by winning the last three games of the second. She could not maintain the momentum in the third as Veksler rallied to give the Panthers their first C-USA crown in women's tennis.
The Owls (15-8) will continue to practice in advance of the NCAA selection show on May 1 with the hope they will earn an at-large berth to extend their streak to seven consecutive NCAA appearances.
Rice vs FIU Panthers
4/ 22/2018 at Norfolk, Va.
(Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center)
#37 FIU Panthers 4, #43 Rice 3
Singles competition
1. #9 Andrea Lazaro (FIU) def. Lindsey Hodge (RICEW) 6-2, 6-2
2. Ulyana Grib (FIU) def. Wendy Zhang (RICEW) 6-4, 6-4
3. Michaela Haet (RICEW) def. Sandra Bozinovic (FIU) 6-2, 7-6 (10-8)
4. Maryna Veksler (FIU) def. Fernanda Astete (RICEW) 6-4, 5-7, 6-1
5. Anna Bowtell (RICEW) def. Nerma Caluk (FIU) 6-4, 7-6 (10-8)
6. Savannah Durkin (RICEW) def. Mina Markovic (FIU) 6-2, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. Maryna Veksler/Ulyana Grib (FIU) def. #44 Lindsey Hodge/Wendy Zhang (RICEW) 6-2
2. Andrea Lazaro/Nerma Caluk (FIU) def. Priya Niezgoda/Fernanda Astete (RICEW) 6-3
3. Mina Markovic/Sandra Bozinovic (FIU) def. Michaela Haet/Savannah Durkin (RICEW) 6-5
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (6,1,3,5,2,4)
2018 Conference USA Championship
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,1
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
6,1,3,5,2,4
Players Mentioned
