MATCH RESULTS
CONWAY, Ark. – The Nicholls State University women's tennis team came up short in doubles against Central Arkansas, but for the first time this season, the Colonels were able to recover and picked up a 4-3 victory Saturday at the UCA Tennis Courts.
UCA led 3-2 before the Colonels (9-8, 2-6 SLC) clawed back to tie it at 3-3 on
Stephanie Barnett's three-set win at No. 1. With the match on the line,
Mariia Kozachok dominated QiLa Ma in the third set with a shutout to clinch the team victory.
"It was a great lesson for everyone finding a way and not giving up," said head coach
Greg Harkins. "This UCA team has been at the top of the conference for the last few years, so this was a big one for us, being in Conway and a long way from home. We just fought our way through some tough matches."
UCA (10-3, 3-2) went up 1-0 after winning courts 1 and 2 in doubles. In singles, Changwei and
Lingfeng Gu both won in straight sets for the Colonels at 6 and 2, respectively, but UCA answered both points with wins on 5 and 4.
On the top court, Barnett battled back from dropping the first set for a 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 win over Pornpawee Pramethong, improving her record in singles to 12-4. Kozachok's 6-3, 2-6, 6-0 win at No. 3 improved her mark to 11-6.
"We saw the balance in the lineup that we've been looking for, having some other players step up big. Changwei had the match of her season and Lingfeng rallied while our anchors continue to be impressive," Coach Harkins said. "I'm proud of the effort, but we still have a lot of tennis to play. I told the ladies if we play at a high level, we can compete with anyone in the conference and today we proved it against an admirable UCA team."
UP NEXT
The Colonels will step out of league play with a matchup against Division II Hardin University on Saturday, March 31. First serve is scheduled for 10:30 a.m.
