Strong Singles Play Lifts Women's Tennis Past Troy 4-3

BOX SCORE (PDF)

NEW ORLEANS – For the second-straight day, the University of New Orleans women's team found themselves tied 3-3 with the final singles match going into a third set. On Sunday afternoon, the Privateers had better luck than the previous day as freshman Claudette Gilhespie prevailed at the fourth flight to give UNO the 4-3 victory over Troy. It is the Privateers first victory against the Trojans since 2005.

In the deciding match, the Newcastle, England native lost the opening set 4-6, but prevailed 7-5 in the second set tiebreaker game to force a third set with a 7-6 result. The third set followed the back-and-forth pace of the previous one, with Gilhespie yet again triumphing in the tiebreaker game to win the finale 7-6.

"We played well today," head coach Burzis Kanga said. "All the matches were competitive, every loss we had in singles were in three-set battles. I'm really pleased with how [Claudette] handled herself today. The entire match came down to her and she pulled through."

Sophomore Trang Dao won New Orleans' (5-3) first singles match of the afternoon, besting Troy's (2-8) top player in straight sets 6-3, 6-3. Seniors Anna Segarra Rius and Yasmine Rashad, playing at the third and fifth positions, won both their matches to put the Privateers a game away from the victory with 7-5, 6-4 and 7-6, 4-6, 6-0 scores. Junior Anja Luethi and sophomore Brittany Johnson played at the second and sixth flights, losing to their Troy counterparts in three-set bouts 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 and 6-7, 6-3, 6-4.

In doubles play, Troy opened up the match with two victories to take the point. Luethi and Gilhespie played at the top positon, losing 6-2 before Dao and Rashad lost 6-4 at the second flight.

The road trip wraps up on Monday, Mar. 6 when they take on Alabama State. 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.
 
New Orleans 4, Troy 3
 
Singles competition
1. Trang Dao (UNO) def. Hannah Seizer (TROY) 6-3, 6-3
2. Sanae Ohta (TROY) def. Anja Luethi (UNO) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
3. Anna Segarra Rius (UNO) def. Jiayuan Xue (TROY) 7-5, 6-4
4. Claudette Gilhespie (UNO) def. Nancy Karaky (TROY) 4-6, 7-6, 8-6
5. Yasmine Rashad (UNO) def. Efriliya Herlina (TROY) 7-6, 4-6, 6-0
6. Alicia Rodriguez (TROY) def. Brittany Johnson (UNO) 6-7, 6-3, 6-4
 
Doubles competition
1. Sanae Ohta/Nancy Karaky (TROY) def. Anja Luethi/Claudette Gilhespie (UNO) 6-2
2. Alicia Rodriguez/Luisa Ferrauti (TROY) def. Trang Dao/Yasmine Rashad (UNO) 6-4
3. Jiayuan Xue/Efriliya Herlina (TROY) vs. Anna Segarra Rius/Brittany Johnson (UNO) unfinished