No. 54 SMU at No. 44 Rice (10-6)
George R. Brown Tennis Center – Houston, TX
11 a.m. | Saturday, Apr. 8
Season Stats
Box Score
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HOUSTON, Texas (SMU)- The Mustangs added their second straight ranked victory to their belt and first road victory as they defeated No. 44 Rice 4-2 Saturday afternoon as the George R. Brown Tennis Center.

SMU's 11^th win of the season was well earned after a back-and-forth matchup between the two ranked programs.

"Great bounce back by the team after a tough doubles point," said head coach Jeff Nevolo. "We competed great and managed to get it done on the road against a gritty Rice team."

The Mustangs faced a 1-0 deficit after dropping the doubles point. Rice took courts 1 and 2 with a pair of 6-2 victories over the No. 56 ranked duo of Jackie Nylander and Taylor Johnson on Court 1 followed by Hadley Doyle and Maja Makoric on Court 2.

Taylor Johnson quickly put the match back at even, as she upended Federica Trevisan on Court 2 with a pair of 6-1 sets. Johnson is on a scorching four match win streak only giving up nine games in the past three matches.

Drew Morris was the next match up as she routed Diae El Jardi 6-3, 6-3 on Court 3 putting the Mustangs up 2-1. Morris, the former AAC Player of the Week put up a team high 12 wins this season and has now won two in a row.

Rice would slow the Mustangs momentum as Marte Lambrecht defeated Maja Makoric on Court 6 6-4, 6-4.

Unfortunately for the Owls, that would be their last point of the day.

After falling quickly in the first set, 6-1, Hadley Doyle found her second wind and turned the second set into a 6-1 victory. In the deciding third set, Doyle would put up another 6-1 victory inching the Mustangs within one victory of the match.

Jackie Nylander and Lana Mavor had both splits sets and were now racing to see who would get the match-clincher.

After being up 5-3, Nylander dropped the next two games tying up the third set at 5-5. Nylander held serve to go up 6-5 and would be in a deciding deuce point to either clinch the match or head to a tiebreaker. Nylander got the break at 6-5 giving her the victory at 7-5 and the Mustangs the win.

Mavor was up 5-3 in the deciding third set serving at 30-0 as Nylander got the triumph, leaving her soon to be victory unfinished.

The Mustangs will continue on the road and battle another top-50 ranked team as they head to Waco to take on No. 42 Baylor on Apr. 10 at 6 p.m.
 
Tennis Match Results
SMU vs Rice
4/8/2023 at Houston, Texas
(George R. Brown Tennis Center)
#54 SMU 4, #44 Rice 2
 
Singles competition
1. Hadley Doyle (SMU) def. Allison Zipoli (RICE) 1-6, 6-1, 6-1
2. Taylor Johnson (SMU) def. Federica Trevisan (RICE) 6-1, 6-1
3. Drew Morris (SMU) def. Diae El Jardi (RICE) 6-3, 6-3
4. Jackie Nylander (SMU) def. Darya Schwartzman (RICE) 6-2, 2-6, 7-5
5. Saara Orav (RICE) vs. Lana Mavor (SMU) 4-6, 6-3, 3-5, unfinished
6. Marte Lambrecht (RICE) def. Maja Makoric (SMU) 6-4, 6-4
 
Doubles competition
1. Diae El Jardi/Allison Zipoli (RICE) def. #56 Taylor Johnson/Jackie Nylander (SMU) 6-2
2. Darya Schwartzman/Saara Orav (RICE) def. Hadley Doyle/Maja Makoric (SMU) 6-2
3. Sydney Berlin/Federica Trevisan (RICE) vs. Lana Mavor/Drew Morris (SMU) 2-5, unfinished
 
Match Notes:
SMU 11-7; National ranking #54
Rice 10-7; National ranking #44
Order of finish: Doubles (,1,2); Singles (2,3,6,1,4)