STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Like it was set up to be, Saturday's match between two impressive programs featuring Tarleton and Louisiana Tech went down to the wire, but it was the Lady Techsters who came out victorious.
Although the final score may indicate otherwise at 4-1, the Texans and Lady Techsters were neck-and-neck throughout the afternoon in Stephenville. Because the teams agreed to play "clinch" – meaning when the team result is in hand all remaining matches go unfinished – Tarleton was on the brink of winning the other two singles matches that would have made the final score 4-3.
Tarleton (7-4) had their three-match winning streak snapped and fell for the first time at home this season, now at 3-1. The Lady Techsters (10-4) improved to 4-1 on the road.
These teams squared off in Ruston, Louisiana, last year, and in another tight match, the Lady Techsters handed Tarleton one of their just four losses on the year, 4-2. This time in Stephenville the match had similar competitiveness, although Louisiana Tech's roster had the experience advantage going in. All but one of their 10 players are upperclassmen with no freshmen. Tarleton has been getting great results all year with a very young team, with six underclassmen of their nine-woman roster, including five freshmen.
To start Saturday, the doubles matches were unique with two 6-0 results, one for each team. Tarleton's
Emma Persson and
Elsa Boisson played together on Court 1 for just the third time this year and lost 6-0 to Leonie Schuknecht and Najah Dawson.
Martha Makantasi and
Clara Sobius paired together for the first time overall this season and shut out their Louisiana Tech opponents Olga Bienzobas and Ana Rodrigues 6-0. The doubles point came down to Court 3, won by Louisiana Tech's Alexia Romero and Valentina Vazquez 6-2 over
Celia Vaudiau and
Elif Albayrak.
In singles, four of the six matches went three sets. Of course, the two straight set matches finished first, one taken by each program. Louisiana Tech won the first on Court 4, as Nash defeated
Ximena Morales 6-2 6-0. Then Tarleton got on the board on Court 5, with Sobius knocking off Rodrigues 6-3 6-3. Sobius is now 7-4 overall this year, 1-1 at No. 5.
In the other four singles matches, Makantasi and Boisson each won the first set, and Persson and Vaudiau lost the first one. It was the opposite story for each match in the second set. Makantasi suffered the next loss after leading 6-2 5-4, falling to Bienzobas 6-2 5-7 2-6. After Persson won the second set 6-4, Schuknecht clinched the win for the Lady Techsters with a 6-1 third set win, beating Persson 6-4 4-6 6-1. On Court 3, Boisson was close to match point, ahead of Dawson 7-5 2-6 4-1 before the match went unfinished. On Court 6, Vaudiau was beating Tetruashvili 4-6 6-3 2-1 before the match went unfinished, as well.
Tarleton will have to flush the loss away quickly, as they're back at it on Tuesday at home against Drake at 1 p.m. CT.
