MATCH RESULTS
THIBODAUX, La. – After dropping the doubles point, the Nicholls State University women's tennis team received wins by
Stephanie Barnett and
Mariia Kozachok to cut the deficit to one, but New Orleans captured the final two points in close sets for a 5-2 victory Tuesday afternoon at the Colonel Tennis Complex.
"We came out flat and got behind, but we did give a great effort to get back into it," said
Greg Harkins, Nicholls tennis head coach. "Our challenge as a young team is learning to play from beginning to end. We need to finish matches and get ahead opposed to always playing from behind. But we'll rally back from this and be ready for UIW this weekend."
New Orleans (8-6, 2-4 SLC) cruised in doubles play, winning courts 1 and 2 for the 1-0 advantage. The Colonels were shut out on the No. 2 line before Barnett and Kozachok were defeated 6-4 at No. 1.
UNO went up 2-0 after
Anastasia Kuzevanova fell at No. 5 in straight sets to Brittany Johnson. The Colonels then claimed their first point after Barnett battled back from a loss in the first set for a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory.
The Privateers won on court 2 to come within a point of clinching, but Kozachok kept the Colonels in it with a victory on court 3. After winning the first set against Claudette Gilhespie, 6-2, Kozachok outlasted her opponent in the second in the tiebreaker, 10-8, to pick up the victory.
But UNO clinched the match when Yurina Asai defeated
Marina Vigil at the No. 4 line, 6-1, 7-5. The Privateers then closed out the day with a win at No. 6.
UP NEXT
The Colonels will play their next two matches at home, hosting UIW Sunday and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Tuesday. Sunday's match will be the team's annual crawfish boil, with first ball scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
