Texas A&M
Texas Tech
Aggies Send Off Seniors With 5-2 Victory Against Tech
Apr 22, 2011 | Women's Tennis
April 22, 2011
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The Texas A&M women's tennis team honored its three seniors before the start of the final home match of the season, and the Aggies also celebrated at the end after knocking off No. 41 Texas Tech, 5-2, at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center.
With the win, the 30th-ranked Aggies improve to 14-7 overall and clinch the No. 4 seed at the Big 12 Championship with a 7-4 record. Tech falls to 17-7 overall and ties A&M for fourth place in the league standings with a 7-4 conference record.
"I was looking at the standings and I knew this was a crazy year, where if we won tonight we would be fourth and if we lost we were probably seventh," A&M coach Bobby Kleinecke said. "This was a big match for us. It was big for us to finish out the last two weeks like we did, because it has been a tough two weeks and we have asked a lot from the players. I'm very pleased with the way they have responded. They turned it around two weeks ago, and I'm very happy where we stand right now as we get ready to start postseason."
After the brief pre-match senior recognition, seniors Stephanie Davidson and Morgan Frank got to work and defeated Nikki Sanders and Caroline Starck, 8-4, at the No. 2 line. With the win, Davidson, who ranks fourth in the A&M career records for most wins, tallied her 96th doubles victory. Frank moved into a tie for eighth with her 88th career win.
Senior Christi Liles also played a part in A&M taking a 1-0 lead against the Lady Raiders as she and freshman Christi Potgieter then clinched the point with a 9-8 victory over Samantha Adams and Kelsy Garland at the No. 1 line. The match was close throughout until, with the score tied at 8-8, the Aggie duo raced to a 7-0 win in the tiebreaker.
Tech's Haley Fournier and Elizabeth Ullathorne prevented the Aggie sweep, holding off Sheri Olivier and Nazari Urbina, 9-8 (3) at the No. 3 line.
"We played very well in the doubles," Kleinecke said. "We came out and executed the way we wanted to execute. Even the doubles match we lost, there were some key times in there that we were taking advantage and controlling the play a little bit. It was just a couple of points here or there."
Frank quickly put A&M up 2-0 at the start of singles, winning her seventh consecutive match and wrapping up an undefeated home season after racing to a 6-3, 6-3 win over Adams at the No. 2 line. With the win, Frank secured the outright Big 12 No. 2 singles champion title with a 10-1 conference record. It is Frank's fifth individual title, the most in A&M history. Frank also moved into sole position of eighth place in the A&M records for most wins, posting her 89th career victory.
"I told Morgan it's going to be a long time before we have someone who wins as much as she did on that second court," Kleinecke said. "When Morgan is out there playing, it is never dull. She is going to put up a fight, and we are very proud of what she has accomplished. She has done well for us.
Liles gave the Aggies 3-0 lead, coming back from a 3-0 first-set deficit to defeat Garland, 6-4, 6-1 a the No. 3 line.
"Christi Liles has really stepped up at the last here and is playing some of her best tennis right now," Kleinecke said. "This is a good time to turn it on. She played an excellent match tonight."
Urbina, ranked 30th in singles, then clinched the winning point for the Aggies after defeating 121st-ranked Ullathorne, 6-1, 6-4 at the No. 1 line.
Starck put the Lady Raiders on the scoreboard with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Potgieter at No. 4, and Sandra Dynka posted Tech's other point with a 6-4, 6-3 win against Davidson at No. 6.
"Stephanie has been so solid for us in the doubles all of the time and really played well in the singles this year," Kleinecke said. "All three of (the seniors) have been very key to the success we have had this year."
A&M's Janelle Cuthbertson accounted for the final 5-2 score as she held off Sanders, 6-3, 7-5 at No. 5.
It was A&M's 27th consecutive win against Tech, although the Lady Raiders are much improved.
"Tech has had a great season," Kleinecke said. "I hope they have a good conference tournament and make the NCAA tournament, because they have had a great year and they deserve it."
The Big 12 Championship tournament will be April 28- May 1 at the Baylor Tennis Center in Waco, Texas. A&M has wrapped up a first-round bye and will begin the tournament on April 29. The opponent and time is to be determined.
"Postseason is fun," Kleinecke said. "You either win or go home. It's a fun time of year. I think we are peaking at the right time, so we are going to make a run at it. Our goal is to win the tournament. We are not going to be happy with anything else."
Free live scoring of A&M matches is available at AggieAthletics.com. Also follow on Twitter @AggieTennis.
No. 30 Texas A&M 5, No. 41 Texas Tech 2
George P. Mitchell Tennis Center
College Station, Texas
Attendance: 340
Singles
1. (#30) Nazari Urbina (TAMU) def. (#121) Elizabeth Ullathorne (TT), 6-1, 6-4
2. Morgan Frank (TAMU) def. Samantha Adams (TT), 6-3, 6-3
3. Christi Liles (TAMU) def. Kelsy Garland (TT), 6-4, 6-1
4. Caroline Starck (TT) def. Christi Potgieter (TAMU), 6-4, 7-5
5. Janelle Cuthbertson (TAMU) def. Nikki Sanders (TT), 6-3, 7-5
6. Sandra Dynka (TT) def. Stephanie Davidson (TAMU), 6-4, 6-3
Doubles (A&M wins the point)
1. Liles/Potgieter (TAMU) def. Adams/Garland (TT), 9-8 (0)
2. Davidson/Frank/ (TAMU) def. Sanders/Starck (TT), 8-4
3. Fournier/Ullathorne (TT) def. Sheri Olivier/Urbina (TAMU), 9-8 (3)
Order of finish:
Doubles: 2, 1, 3
Singles: 2, 3, 1*, 4, 6, 5
*-clinched match
Team records:
Texas A&M: 14-7, 7-4 Big 12
Texas Tech: 17-7, 7-4 Big 12
Follow A&M on Twitter @AggieTennis.
