No. 47 SMU (13-8) at No. 36 UCF (9-10)
USTA National Campus – Orlando, Fla.
12 p.m. | Sunday, Apr. 16
Season Stats
Box Score
Facebook |
Twitter |
Instagram
SMU Mobile App |
Apple |
Google Play
ORLANDO (SMU)- SMU women's tennis measured up to its highest conference ranked opponent to date as the Mustangs rallied past No. 39 UCF 4-2 at the USTA National Campus in the last regular season match.
The Mustangs have now defeated each of their conference opponents in regular season play as well as notched their sixth ranked victory this season against top-75 teams.
SMU found itself with the 1-0 lead on the scoreboard to begin the match with respective 7-6 and 6-1 wins on Courts 1 and 2 in doubles play. The Mustangs then rolled to three more points courtesy of singles triumphs on Courts 1, 2 and 3 to clinch the match.
"Great effort from the team today. We handled the elements very well and played tough tennis when it mattered," said head coach
Jeff Nevolo.
Taylor Johnson and
Lana Mavor earned the first win of the day as they quickly downed Nandini Sharma and Noel Saidenova 6-1 on Court 2. Jalessa Leslie and Anique Kattenberg returned the favor with a 6-1 win over
Hadley Doyle and
Drew Morris on Court 3 moments after to turn the fate of the doubles point to Court 1.
Jackie Nylander and
Maja Makoric were up 4-2 against Sophia Biolay and Marie Mattel looking like they were about to capture a comfortable win. The UCF duo took the next two games to tie the match at 4-4. Neither team could find a break leading to a huge tiebreaker to decide who got the 1-0 lead. Nylander and Makoric were in complete control of the breaker, only offering up 3 points to getting SMU the 1-0 lead.
SMU took five of the six opening sets in singles play.
Taylor Johnson continued to roll over her opponents in singles play as she notched her seventh straight victory. Johnson got out to a quick 5-2 lead in the opening set then eventually took the first set 6-3. After dropping the opening game of the second set, Johnson won the next six games to give SMU the 2-0 lead.
Sophia Biolay went on to defeat
Jackie Nylander 7-5, 6-1 on Court 4, giving UCF its first point of the day.
Drew Morris got off to a scorching start as she hung a 6-0 bagel against Nandini Sharma. Morris and Sharma went back and forth in the second set until play was halted due to a lightening delay with Morris up 6-5. An hour later, play resumed with Sharma taking the next game, forcing a second set tiebreaker. Morris and Sharma were in a close matchup until Morris got three huge points to take the breaker at 7-4 leading SMU to a 3-1 lead.
Maja Makoric fell to Anique Kattenberg in a hard three set battle tightening SMU's lead to 3-2.
Hadley Doyle, the No. 123 ITA ranked singles player, picked up her biggest win of the season as she defeated Marie Mattel, the No. 32 ITA ranked singles player, in three sets to clinch the match for the Mustangs. Doyle and Mattel shared a pair of 6-4 sets as Doyle took the first and Mattel took the second forcing a big third set. The third set was in a tight match tied at 3-3 until Doyle got the break and held serve sending her to a 5-3 lead where she would clinch the match with a 6-3 win.
Doyle is now 9-3 in dual match this season.
The Mustangs are back in action in Orlando, Fla. competing for a conference title in the AAC Tournament.
#47 SMU 4, #39 Central Florida 2
Apr 16, 2023 at
Singles Competition
| 1. #123 Hadley Doyle (SMU) def. #32 Marie Mattel (UCF) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 |
| 2. Taylor Johnson (SMU) def. Noel Saidenova (UCF) 6-3, 6-1 |
| 3. Drew Morris (SMU) def. Nandini Sharma (UCF) 6-0, 7-6 (7-4) |
| 4. Sophia Biolay (UCF) def. Jackie Nylander (SMU) 7-5, 6-1 |
| 5. Jaleesa Leslie (UCF) vs. Lana Mavor (SMU) 3-6, 6-2, 4-5, unfinished |
| 6. Anique Kattenberg (UCF) def. Maja Makoric (SMU) 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 |
Match Notes
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (12,4,3) |
