Friday, March 11
College Station
2:30 PM
Texas A&M
5
vs
2
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Mississippi State
Photo by: Texas A&M Athletics
Texas A&M Defeats Mississippi State, 5-2; Stays Undefeated at Home
Mar 11, 2016 | Women's Tennis
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The 16th-ranked Texas A&M women's tennis team opened its Southeastern Conference home slate with a 5-2 victory over No. 28 Mississippi State today at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center. With the victory, the Aggies not only improve to 10-4 overall and 2-1 in SEC matches, but they also remain undefeated at home with a 7-0 record.
The Bulldogs (10-3, 1-2 SEC) entered the match having won the doubles point in 11 of 12 matches this season and sporting nationally ranked teams on all three courts. A&M, however, would get two quick victories to clinch the point and take a 1-0 lead.
The Aggies' 56th-ranked tandem of Rutuja Bhosale and Anna Mamalat won its fourth consecutive match and improved to 15-4 overall, reeling off four consecutive games to close out a 6-1 victory over 43rd-ranked Jasmine Lee and Louise Ronaldson at the No. 2 line.
Eva Paalma and Rachel Pierson entered the national rankings this week at No. 41 after posting A&M's highest ranked doubles victory of 2015-16 with a 6-3 win over Alabama's then-20th-ranked duo of Andie Daniell and Erin Routliffe last Sunday. The Aggie tandem would get its second straight victory over a ranked opponent while securing the point for A&M, winning five consecutive games en route to a 6-2 victory over Madison Harrison and Georgiana Patrasc at the No. 1 line.
A&M's Ines Deheza and Domenica Gonzalez were up a break at 4-3 over Jennifer Brown and Kristina Vozniak when the point was clinched, and the match was abandoned.
Gonzalez quickly gave the Aggies a 2-0 lead at the start of singles and extended her team-leading win streak to seven matches with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over 51st-ranked Anastasia Rentouli at the No. 4 line. It marked the highest ranked win of her young career other than a victory over teammate and former 50th-ranked Bhosale at the ITA Texas Regional Championships last fall.
Although A&M had the momentum early, the Bulldogs stayed close, making things interesting after winning the first set on three courts and earning a split on another court.
Vozniak put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard and within 2-1 with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Paalma at No. 5, but Pierson soon followed with a 6-3, 6-3 triumph over Harrison at No. 3 to put the Aggies ahead, 3-1.
The remaining three courts all would have to go into a third set to determine the victor.
Bhosale had won her first set, 6-4, against 86th-ranked Patrasc at the No. 2 line, but the Bulldog senior won four consecutive games to take the second set, 6-2. Patrasc then won the first game of the third set before Bhosale reeled of six consecutive game to clinch the victory for A&M, putting the Aggies ahead, 4-1.
The remaining two matches would be played to completion. After losing her first set, 6-4, against Brown at No. 6, A&M's Inez Deheza rallied from a 5-2 deficit in the second set to force a tiebreaker at 6-6. Deheza, who entered the match riding a six-match win streak, jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the tiebreaker and never trailed as she went on to win, 7-4, moments before Bhosale clinched the team victory.
With the overall team winner determined, the two played a 10-point tiebreaker for the third set. It was Brown who would win the first three points and never trailed in a 10-5 win to earn the Bulldogs' second point.
A&M's Saska Gavrilovska cap the day with a 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-4 victory over ninth-ranked Lee at the No. 1 line, marking Gavrilovska's highest ranked win in 2015-16.
The Aggies return to the Mitchell Tennis Center on Sunday to play host to the Ole Miss Rebels. First serve is scheduled for 12 p.m.
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M women's tennis. Aggie fans also can keep up to date with the A&M women's tennis team on Twitter by following @AggieWTEN or on Facebook at Facebook.com/AggieWomensTennis.
Texas A&M Head Coach Mark Weaver quotes:
On winning the doubles point…
"In the doubles, it was really exciting to see the progress we have made. The last two matches, those are probably the best doubles points we have played all year, and (doubles) has been a bit of a concern maybe early on. We made some changes at the No. 3 doubles position, so it is nice to see them coming along. Rachel (Pierson) and Eva (Paalma) are starting to really pick it up on their end, and Rutuja (Bhosale) and Anna (Mamalat) have had an excellent year and are 15-4 now, so it was an excellent doubles point. I think we are getting better and better in doubles, and it really kind of set the stage for the match today against a team as solid as Mississippi State. They don't have a weak spot in singles, so it definitely takes the pressure off when you get that doubles point, so that was a great start to the day."
On the singles matches…
"We also had an excellent day overall in the singles. Even though the match was clinched, I was happy for Saska (Gavrilovska) to beat a girl as high as (Jasmine) Lee, who is top 10 in the nation. We have never beaten her. I also was happy for Rachel. She had a good win, and Domenica (Gonzalez) gave us that quick point at No. 4 to make it 2-0, so I was really happy for her.
"We made some lineup changes from last week, and it was nice to see the changes work out well for the team. All the kids responded well to it. It was also a good win for Rutuja at No. 2. She moved up a spot in the lineup and played a strong opponent, so that was a good win for her as well."
On where A&M was going to get the clinching point…
"It definitely got a little dicey, kind of a similar feel to the Alabama match where even though we were in control, it got a little tight toward the end. We were up, 3-1, and the remaining matches could have gone either way. Ines (Deheza) did a great job. She was way down in the second set, 5-2, and she did a great job of hanging in there and it really helped the team effort. If she goes down in straight sets, it puts a lot more pressure on us and gives Mississippi State a lot more to work with."
On getting the win…
"We knew going into the match that it was going to be very difficult, and I think it is one of our better wins. Mississippi State is a better team than its ranking, so I definitely think it was one of our better wins, and it is nice to keep our undefeated home streak going. Hopefully we can continue it on Sunday."
#16 Texas A&M 5, No. 28 Mississippi State 2
George P. Mitchell Tennis Center
College Station, Texas
March 11, 2016
Singles
1. #40 Saska Gavrilovska (A&M) def. #9 Jasmine Lee (MSU), 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-4
2. Rutuja Bhosale (A&M) def. #86 Georgiana Patrasc (MSU), 6-4, 2-6, 6-1
3. Rachel Pierson (A&M) def. Madison Harrison (MSU), 6-3, 6-3
4. Domenica Gonzalez (A&M) def. #51 Anastasia Rentouli (MSU), 6-1, 6-1
5. Kristina Vozniak (MSU) def. Eva Paalma (A&M), 6-3, 6-2
6. Jennifer Brown (MSU) def. Ines Deheza (A&M), 6-4, 6-7 (4), 1-0 (10-5)
Doubles (A&M wins the point)
1. #41 Paalma/Pierson (A&M) def. #34 Harrison/Patrasc (MSU), 6-2
2. #56 Bhosale/Anna Mamalat (A&M) def. #43 Lee/Louise Ronaldson (MSU), 6-1
3. Deheza/Gonzalez (A&M) vs. #70 Brown/Vozniak (MSU), 4-3 unfinished
Order of finish
Singles: 4, 5, 3, 2, 6, 1
Doubles: 2, 1
Team records:
Texas A&M: 10-4, 2-1 SEC
Mississippi State: 10-3, 1-2 SEC
Texas A&M Pronunciation Guide:
Rutuja Bhosale roo-too-jah bo-slay
Ines Deheza ee-NAY de-HAY-za
Saska Gavrilovska saush-ka gav-ril-ahv-ska
Stefania Hristov steff-on-ya RIS-tov
Anna Mamalat anna MAM-ah-LOT
Eva Paalma A-va paul-ma
The Bulldogs (10-3, 1-2 SEC) entered the match having won the doubles point in 11 of 12 matches this season and sporting nationally ranked teams on all three courts. A&M, however, would get two quick victories to clinch the point and take a 1-0 lead.
The Aggies' 56th-ranked tandem of Rutuja Bhosale and Anna Mamalat won its fourth consecutive match and improved to 15-4 overall, reeling off four consecutive games to close out a 6-1 victory over 43rd-ranked Jasmine Lee and Louise Ronaldson at the No. 2 line.
Eva Paalma and Rachel Pierson entered the national rankings this week at No. 41 after posting A&M's highest ranked doubles victory of 2015-16 with a 6-3 win over Alabama's then-20th-ranked duo of Andie Daniell and Erin Routliffe last Sunday. The Aggie tandem would get its second straight victory over a ranked opponent while securing the point for A&M, winning five consecutive games en route to a 6-2 victory over Madison Harrison and Georgiana Patrasc at the No. 1 line.
A&M's Ines Deheza and Domenica Gonzalez were up a break at 4-3 over Jennifer Brown and Kristina Vozniak when the point was clinched, and the match was abandoned.
Gonzalez quickly gave the Aggies a 2-0 lead at the start of singles and extended her team-leading win streak to seven matches with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over 51st-ranked Anastasia Rentouli at the No. 4 line. It marked the highest ranked win of her young career other than a victory over teammate and former 50th-ranked Bhosale at the ITA Texas Regional Championships last fall.
Although A&M had the momentum early, the Bulldogs stayed close, making things interesting after winning the first set on three courts and earning a split on another court.
Vozniak put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard and within 2-1 with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Paalma at No. 5, but Pierson soon followed with a 6-3, 6-3 triumph over Harrison at No. 3 to put the Aggies ahead, 3-1.
The remaining three courts all would have to go into a third set to determine the victor.
Bhosale had won her first set, 6-4, against 86th-ranked Patrasc at the No. 2 line, but the Bulldog senior won four consecutive games to take the second set, 6-2. Patrasc then won the first game of the third set before Bhosale reeled of six consecutive game to clinch the victory for A&M, putting the Aggies ahead, 4-1.
The remaining two matches would be played to completion. After losing her first set, 6-4, against Brown at No. 6, A&M's Inez Deheza rallied from a 5-2 deficit in the second set to force a tiebreaker at 6-6. Deheza, who entered the match riding a six-match win streak, jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the tiebreaker and never trailed as she went on to win, 7-4, moments before Bhosale clinched the team victory.
With the overall team winner determined, the two played a 10-point tiebreaker for the third set. It was Brown who would win the first three points and never trailed in a 10-5 win to earn the Bulldogs' second point.
A&M's Saska Gavrilovska cap the day with a 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-4 victory over ninth-ranked Lee at the No. 1 line, marking Gavrilovska's highest ranked win in 2015-16.
The Aggies return to the Mitchell Tennis Center on Sunday to play host to the Ole Miss Rebels. First serve is scheduled for 12 p.m.
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M women's tennis. Aggie fans also can keep up to date with the A&M women's tennis team on Twitter by following @AggieWTEN or on Facebook at Facebook.com/AggieWomensTennis.
Texas A&M Head Coach Mark Weaver quotes:
On winning the doubles point…
"In the doubles, it was really exciting to see the progress we have made. The last two matches, those are probably the best doubles points we have played all year, and (doubles) has been a bit of a concern maybe early on. We made some changes at the No. 3 doubles position, so it is nice to see them coming along. Rachel (Pierson) and Eva (Paalma) are starting to really pick it up on their end, and Rutuja (Bhosale) and Anna (Mamalat) have had an excellent year and are 15-4 now, so it was an excellent doubles point. I think we are getting better and better in doubles, and it really kind of set the stage for the match today against a team as solid as Mississippi State. They don't have a weak spot in singles, so it definitely takes the pressure off when you get that doubles point, so that was a great start to the day."
On the singles matches…
"We also had an excellent day overall in the singles. Even though the match was clinched, I was happy for Saska (Gavrilovska) to beat a girl as high as (Jasmine) Lee, who is top 10 in the nation. We have never beaten her. I also was happy for Rachel. She had a good win, and Domenica (Gonzalez) gave us that quick point at No. 4 to make it 2-0, so I was really happy for her.
"We made some lineup changes from last week, and it was nice to see the changes work out well for the team. All the kids responded well to it. It was also a good win for Rutuja at No. 2. She moved up a spot in the lineup and played a strong opponent, so that was a good win for her as well."
On where A&M was going to get the clinching point…
"It definitely got a little dicey, kind of a similar feel to the Alabama match where even though we were in control, it got a little tight toward the end. We were up, 3-1, and the remaining matches could have gone either way. Ines (Deheza) did a great job. She was way down in the second set, 5-2, and she did a great job of hanging in there and it really helped the team effort. If she goes down in straight sets, it puts a lot more pressure on us and gives Mississippi State a lot more to work with."
On getting the win…
"We knew going into the match that it was going to be very difficult, and I think it is one of our better wins. Mississippi State is a better team than its ranking, so I definitely think it was one of our better wins, and it is nice to keep our undefeated home streak going. Hopefully we can continue it on Sunday."
#16 Texas A&M 5, No. 28 Mississippi State 2
George P. Mitchell Tennis Center
College Station, Texas
March 11, 2016
Singles
1. #40 Saska Gavrilovska (A&M) def. #9 Jasmine Lee (MSU), 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-4
2. Rutuja Bhosale (A&M) def. #86 Georgiana Patrasc (MSU), 6-4, 2-6, 6-1
3. Rachel Pierson (A&M) def. Madison Harrison (MSU), 6-3, 6-3
4. Domenica Gonzalez (A&M) def. #51 Anastasia Rentouli (MSU), 6-1, 6-1
5. Kristina Vozniak (MSU) def. Eva Paalma (A&M), 6-3, 6-2
6. Jennifer Brown (MSU) def. Ines Deheza (A&M), 6-4, 6-7 (4), 1-0 (10-5)
Doubles (A&M wins the point)
1. #41 Paalma/Pierson (A&M) def. #34 Harrison/Patrasc (MSU), 6-2
2. #56 Bhosale/Anna Mamalat (A&M) def. #43 Lee/Louise Ronaldson (MSU), 6-1
3. Deheza/Gonzalez (A&M) vs. #70 Brown/Vozniak (MSU), 4-3 unfinished
Order of finish
Singles: 4, 5, 3, 2, 6, 1
Doubles: 2, 1
Team records:
Texas A&M: 10-4, 2-1 SEC
Mississippi State: 10-3, 1-2 SEC
Texas A&M Pronunciation Guide:
Rutuja Bhosale roo-too-jah bo-slay
Ines Deheza ee-NAY de-HAY-za
Saska Gavrilovska saush-ka gav-ril-ahv-ska
Stefania Hristov steff-on-ya RIS-tov
Anna Mamalat anna MAM-ah-LOT
Eva Paalma A-va paul-ma
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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