Women's Tennis Drops Competitive 4-3 Match To McNeese

NEW ORLEANS – Looking to avenge a season-ending loss to the McNeese in the Southland Conference Tournament last season, the University of New Orleans women's tennis team recovered from dropping the doubles point on Saturday afternoon to win three of the first four singles matches to finish to lead 3-2, but McNeese won the final two singles bouts to take the match 4-3.

McNeese (6-6, 2-0 Southland) won the doubles point with victories at the top two positions. Sophomore Trang Dao and senior Yasmine Rashad played at the second doubles slot for New Orleans (4-3, 1-1 Southland), losing 6-1, followed by junior Anja Luethi and freshman Claudette Gilhespie's 6-2 setback at the top flight. Senior Anna Segarra Rius and sophomore Brittany Johnson led their McNeese counterparts 5-4 before the match was called off.

The Privateers quickly rebounded from the doubles losses, winning the opening set in five of the six singles matches. Gilhespie knotted up the overall score with a 6-4, 6-2 victory at the fourth flight, but a 6-0, 4-6, 6-1 loss for Rashad put McNeese back up. Rius and Luethi, playing on courts two and three, put the Privateers one game away from the victory with 6-3, 6-3 and 6-1, 2-6, 6-1 scores. Johnson played at the fifth position, losing 7-6, 4-6, 6-3 to put the fate of the match at the top flight.

Dao took the opening set of her McNeese opposition 6-4, but a 7-6 second set triumph for Giovanna Fioretti forced a third set. In the final set of the deciding match, Dao came up just short 7-5.

"This was a really tough loss," head coach Burzis Kanga said. "We had a lot of opportunities to win today, including three match points in the deciding game."

The road trip continues on Sunday, Mar. 5 when they take on Troy. The Privateers return to the University Tennis Center on Friday, Mar. 10 when they host Southeastern Louisiana at 2 p.m., starting a four-match homestand.
 
McNeese 4, New Orleans 3
 
Singles competition
1. Giovanna Fioretti (MCN) def. Trang Dao (UNO) 4-6, 7-6, 7-5
2. Anja Luethi (UNO) def. Sarah Jurakova (MCN) 6-1, 2-6, 6-1
3. Anna Segarra (UNO) def. Hannah Brett (MCN) 6-3, 6-3
4. Claudette Gilhespie (UNO) def. Vivien Borbely 6-4, 6-2
5. Phonexay Chitdara (MCN) def. Brittany Johnson 7-6, 4-6, 6-3
6. Charoline Erlandsson (MCN)def. Yasmine Rashad 6-0, 4-6, 6-1
 
Doubles competition
1. Sarah Jurakova/Hannah Brett (MCN) def. Anja Luethi/Claudette Gilhespie (UNO) 6-2
2. Vivien Borbely/Charoline Erlandsson (MCN) def. Trang Dao/Yasmine Rashad (UNO) 6-1
3. Giovanna Fioretti/Stella Carra (MCN) vs. Anna Segarra/Brittany Johnson (UNO) 4-5, unfinished