Box Score 1

DALLAS (SMU) – The SMU women's tennis team opened its spring campaign in convincing fashion, sweeping the first two opponents of its 2022 non-conference slate.

The Mustangs (2-0) battled their way to a 7-0 team win over UTSA (0-1), shortly followed by a decisive 4-0 victory over ACU (0-1).

SMU did not allow a single win to the opposition in either doubles match. On court one, Claudia Bartolome and Drew Morris took a 5-3 win over UTSA's Aleksandra Zlatarova and Alexandra Weir. The pair took a 3-2 lead in the fifth game and held it through the finish. On court two, Lexi Keberle and Katherine Jakeway took a 3-1 lead in the fourth game and never looked back, taking a 6-2 win over UTSA's Sophie Omoworare and Jasmin Starr and clinching the doubles point.

Opening singles competition, Nicole Petchey dispatched Omoworare on the fourth court, winning the opening singles point of the day with an unblemished 6-0, 6-0 straight-set shutout over the Roadrunner opposition.

On court three, Bartolome willed her way to a 7-5, 7-5 victory to clinch the team win for SMU. In her opening set, she fell behind as far as 5-1, then took each consecutive game on the way to a 7-6 win over Weir. Bartolome fell behind 3-5 in the second set, and again shut down Weir, winning the next four games on the way to a competitive straight-set win for SMU.

Hadley Doyle, after falling 6-2 in her opening set, responded with a 6-2 win of her own over Starr on the second court. Behind 3-0 in the deciding set, Doyle proceeded to win the following four games, setting the tone late for a 6-4 comeback to clinch her singles point.

Jakeway, after falling 7-5 in her opening set to UTSA's Eva Beyebach, proceeded to win the final two sets 6-3, 12-10 on court five. Throughout all three sets, neither opponent held a lead of more than two games over the other.

Lexi Keberle, taking on Zlatarova on court one, secured the first team sweep of the day for the Mustangs with a 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 victory. Despite never yielding the lead in the third set to Zlatarova, UTSA held on, forcing the tiebreaker in which Keberle eventually clinched the sweep for SMU.

Despite an uphill battle against the Roadrunners, SMU was able to maintain its momentum into the second match of the day against ACU.

Drew Morris struck first in singles on court six, after taking a convincing 6-0 win in doubles with Bartolome. Morris never let up, taking the first singles point with a 6-1, 6-2 win over ACU's Eva Arranz. Bartolome claimed the proceeding singles point with a 6-0, 6-1 win over the Wildcat's Illeana Mocciola, pushing SMU's lead to 3-0.

Keberle claimed a 6-2, 6-2 win over ACU's Danielle Viljoen and sealed the 4-0 team victory for SMU, capping the shutout and locking the Mustangs into a 2-0 record to open their season.

"I'm very proud of our group for their efforts today," said head coach Jeff Nevolo. "The team scores don't show how challenging the matches were. We managed to play the big points really well against a tough UTSA team and then raised our level of energy and commitment in our afternoon match against ACU. 


"We've got some work to do before we head to LSU, but this group is up for it."

The Mustangs continue non-conference play next Sunday as they head to Baton Rouge for a noon match at LSU.

ACU (0-1) at SMU (2-0)
DATE: 1/16/2022 TIME: 3 p.m. ARENA: Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex SITE: Dallas, Texas
 
Doubles 1: Claudia Bartolome/Drew Morris (SMU) def. Claire Fisher, Illeana Mocciola (ACU) 6-0
Doubles 2: Lexi Keberle/Katherine Jakeway (SMU) vs. Danielle Viljoen, Allison Stewart (ACU) 4-1, unfinished
Doubles 3: Nicole Petchey, Hadley Doyle (SMU) def. Andrea Gurrero, Eva Arranz (ACU) 6-1
 
Singles 1: Lexi Keberle (SMU) def. Danielle Viljoen (ACU) 6-2, 6-2
Singles 2: Hadley Doyle (SMU) vs. Allison Stewart (ACU) 6-2, 3-3 (unfinished)
Singles 3: Claudia Bartolome (SMU) def. Illeana Mocciola (ACU) 6-0, 6-1
Singles 4: Nicole Petchey (SMU) vs. Andrea Gurrero 6-4, 4-1 (unfinished)
Singles 5: Katherine Jakeway (SMU) vs. Claire Fisher (ACU) 6-1, 3-4 (unfinished)
Singles 6: Drew Morris (SMU) def. Eva Arranz (ACU) 6-1, 6-2
Order of Finish:
1,3,2(unfinished)
6,3,1,2 (unfinished),5 (unfinished),4 (unfinished)