Tennis Stats

EL PASO – The No. 30 Tarleton tennis team wrapped up a weekend in west Texas by winning against its only Division II competition and falling to pair of Division I schools.
 
“We accomplished our goal of getting some good competition before the break,” said head coach Lance Drake. “We didn't have any easy matches and were faced with many different situations. Now we can use the break to heal some injuries and hopefully get us ready to make a final push in the last half of the semester.”
 
The most notable injury is to No. 1 player Alicia Perez, who missed all three matches last weekend, who now missed six of the team's last seven matches.
   
In the tournament opener, the TexAnns dealt with the tournament host Miners and fell 6-1.
 
In Division I scoring rules, Karla Martinez earned the only credited victory with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Martina Trierweiler in the No. 2 match.
 
Mackenzie Mitchell and Marina Rull won the No. 3 doubles match 8-5.
 
Ivana Zecevic stepped into the No. 1 match with the injury to Perez and fell 6-4, 6-2. Also dropping their single matches were No. 3 Melanie Barnes (6-0, 6-4), No. 4 Silvia Nieva (6-0, 6-1), No. 5 Marina Rull (6-4, 6-4 and No. 6 Mackenzie Mitchell (6-3, 6-3).
 
In doubles play, Martinez and April Downing paired for the No. 1 match and lost 8-3 while the consistent tandem of Barnes and Zecevic dropped a hard fought No. 2 match 8-6.
 
“I thought we played ok doubles against UTEP,” said Drake. “We had a good win in the No. 3 and we let No. 2 slip away from us. Karla (Martinez) played a solid match to pick up a singles win. UTEP is playing well and with confidence. We had some chances but just weren't consistent enough in stringing points together.”
   
On Saturday, Tarleton played its only Division II match of the weekend against a regional foe – the Rocky Mountain's Western New Mexico – and won 8-1.
 
“This is a much improved team and made us work for every point,” said Drake. “The wind made this match extremely difficult for both teams, but our doubles got us started with a big win at No. 1 and solid player from our No. 2. We really came out and took control of the match.”
 
Martinez was back in the No. 1 spot and handled her business with a 6-2, 6-2 win. Also rolling in singles play was No. 3 Barnes (6-0, 6-0), No. 4 Nieva (6-3, 6-0), No. 5 Rull (6-0, 6-1) and No. 6 Mitchell (6-4, 6-1).
 
The No. 2 battle saw the tightest contest of the day.
 
Zecevic and Western New Mexico's Ashley Newell battled to a super-tiebreaker with Zecevic coming out on top 6-3, 4-6, 15-13.
“Ivana really had to dig deep to get that one,” said Drake. “She hadn't been in those types of conditions before and it was very frustrating, but she was able to pull it out against a solid player who is playing very well.”
   
In the tournament finale, Tarleton was able to notch a pair of wins against New Mexico State – who took the overall match 5-2.
 
Martinez and Rull dominated the afternoon for Tarleton, with both earning a singles win – only Martinez's win counted toward the team score due to Division I scoring rules – while also partnering for a No. 1 doubles win.
 
“Both of those girls stepped up and found a way to win,” said Drake. “We really threw Marina (Rull) into the fire this weekend, and for the most part she held her own.”
 
The Tarleton tandem got the TexAnns off to a strong start with a 9-4 win in the top doubles match while Barnes and Zecevic just missed giving Tarleton a 2-0 advantage by dropping the No. 2 match 8-9. The Aggies won the No. 3 doubles over Mitchell and Downing 8-3.
 
In singles play, Martinez battled back to win the No. 1 match after dropping the first set 4-6. She rallied for a 6-4 win in the second set and a 10-8 win in the tiebreaker.
 
Rull had little problems in the No. 5 match with a 6-1, 6-2 win.
 
The rest of the TexAnns suffered defeat in their respective matches: No. 2 Zecevic (0-6, 3-6), No. 3 Barnes (3-6, 6-7), No. 4 Nieva (2-6, 0-6) and No. 6 Mitchell (3-6, 2-6).
 
Tarleton is off for spring break and will return to action March 23 at home against Southern Nazarene.