Women's Tennis Defeats Cajuns to Finish 3-0 Weekend

BOX SCORE

NEW ORLEANS, La. – The New Orleans Privateers women's tennis team (6-4, 0-1) had just five available players in singles, but were still able to pull a 5-2 victory over the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (2-4) on Sunday at the University Tennis Center.

The Privateers had Anna Segarra Rius available in doubles where they swept through the Cajuns at the top two positions. However, Segarra could not play in singles due to an illness. She did partner with Anja Luethi for an easy 8-1 win at the 2 spot in doubles.

"I thought we played a very good Lafayette team who we haven't beaten in years. We not only beat them. We beat them with five players in place. The way they executed today really made me so proud of them across the board," said Head Coach Burzis Kanga.

In singles, the Privateers came out on the right side of a pair of three-set matches. Yasmine Rashad was bumped up to the 4 spot with Segarra out, and came through with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Alex Way. At #5 singles, Hafsa Laraibi rebounded from dropping the first set to defeat Abby Johnson 6-2, 6-2 over the next two sets. Both Laraibi and Rashad claimed their sixth singles wins of the spring.

"They were magnificent in doubles and singles. Hopefully this will spring us into our conference match against Nicholls on Friday," said Kanga about his team who defeated the Cajuns for the first time since 2005.

Soledad Calderon Arroyo and Luethi also earned singles victories in straight sets for the Privateers. Calderon teamed up with Marta Sans to top the Cajuns' #1 duo of Nelo Phiri and Kelly Drew at 8-1. The duo of Calderon and Sans is 5-1 on the season.

New Orleans dives back into conference play on Friday when they face Nicholls at home. The match is scheduled for a 3 p.m. start.

To keep up with the latest New Orleans tennis news, follow the team on Twitter @UNOPrivateers and @Privateers_TN or by liking New Orleans Privateers on Facebook.