UNT tennis splits weekend competitions

by PegNews wire

Rice 4, UNT 3

North Texas tennis got the effort it needed at Rice but couldn’t seal the deal, falling in a 4-3 heartbreaker in the spring season opener.

The Mean Green took the doubles point and had individual wins from Narine Kazarova and Idalina Franca. Rachel Wilhelm and Amy Joubert both grabbed 6-4 wins in the opening set, but went on to fall in the third and deciding frame.

“Today was a five hour dogfight,” said Mean Green head coach Sujay Lama. “We played unbelievable, but we just couldn’t deliver the knockout punch.”

Madura Ranganathan did a more than admirable job against Rice's top singles player, Julie Chao, ranked No. 99 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. The freshman fell 6-0 in the first set, but rebounded in a 7-5 loss in the second.

North Texas heads back to Nacogdoches, Texas tomorrow to face Stephen F. Austin at noon. The Mean Green was originally scheduled to face the Lady Jacks on Friday afternoon before inclement weather postponed the match until Sunday.

UNT 7, Stephen F. Austin 0

North Texas tennis coach Sujay Lama was hoping his squad would use its heartbreaking loss at Rice yesterday as a learning experience. Apparently, the Mean Green soaked it all in, sweeping Stephen F. Austin this afternoon, 7-0.

“We wanted to learn from a tough loss yesterday at Rice, and our team really responded well today,” Lama said. “We were the aggressor from the beginning. It was all about business for us today.”

The doubles team of Catalina Cruz and Rachel Wilhelm staved off an elimination point late, and came back to win the match. That victory gave the Mean Green the doubles point, and a load of momentum heading into singles action.

Every Mean Green singles player won their singles match, each in only two sets.

North Texas is now 1-1 in the young 2008 spring campaign. The Mean Green returns to action on Jan. 30 at UT-Arlington.

Source: UNT