PADUCAH, Ky.—Sixth-seeded Morehead State women’s tennis advanced to the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament semifinals for the first time since 2003 with a 4-1 win over No. 3 Eastern Kentucky Friday morning at the Rowton Indoor Tennis Complex.
The Eagles (12-11) advance to Saturday’s semifinals to face second-seeded UT Martin at 11:00 a.m. ET.
The tournament was moved indoors due to oncoming inclement weather, but MSU was unaffected by the move, avenging a 4-3 loss at home last week to the rival Lady Colonels.
“I’m very proud of the girls’ effort today,” MSU coach
Kevin Fulton said. “It was a complete team effort along with the great support we received from our fans that are here. We did a great job of playing as a team and supporting each other. I’m really looking forward to playing UT Martin tomorrow.”
The Eagles won at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles to start the match by taking the doubles points.
Jessica Montemayor and
Victoria Cran won 8-6 over EKU’s Anouk Faure and Sophie O’Neill in the No. 2 slot.
Alix Young and
Alexandra Rydberg won at No. 3, defeating Myriem Mhirit and Milena Poffo 8-6.
Only four singles matches were completed prior to MSU clinching its fourth point and the match. MSU won at No. 1, No. 4 and No. 6 and lost at No. 3.
Lauren Delaney won at No. 6, first, giving MSU a 2-0 lead after she beat O’Neill 6-1, 6-0. Young earned a straight-sets win over OVC Player of the Year Jessica Albuquerque, 6-2, 6-4. Albuquerque was 7-1 in OVC singles and had won her last eight singles matches prior to Friday, including a marathon 3.5-hour three-set match versus Young last week in Morehead. Montemayor, who was named Second Team All-Conference Thursday, clinched the victory with a 6-0, 6-4 win at No. 4 over Saioa Oscoz. It was Montemayor’s 14th win in her last 15 singles matches.
Morehead State 4, Eastern Kentucky 1
Apr 15, 2011 at Paducah, Ky. (Rowton Tennis Center)
Singles competition
1. YOUNG, Alix (MOR-W) def. ALBUQUERQUE, Jessica (EKU-W) 6-2, 6-4
2. MHIRIT, Myriem (EKU-W) vs. ANTERO, Madeleinne (MOR-W) unfinished
3. FAURE, Anouk (EKU-W) def. RYDBERG, Alexandra (MOR-W) 6-4, 6-1
4. MONTEMAYOR, Jessica (MOR-W) def. OSCOZ, Saioa (EKU-W) 6-0, 6-4
5. POFFO, Milena (EKU-W) vs. CRAN, Victoria (MOR-W) unfinished
6. DELANEY, Lauren (MOR-W) def. O'NEILL, Sophie (EKU-W) 6-1, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. ALBUQUERQUE, Jessica/OSCOZ, Saioa (EKU-W) vs. ANTERO, Madeleinne/HELMS, Brooke (MOR-W) unfinished
2. MONTEMAYOR, Jessica/CRAN, Victoria (MOR-W) def. FAURE, Anouk/O'NEILL, Sophie (EKU-W) 8-6
3. YOUNG, Alix/RYDBERG, Alexandra (MOR-W) def. MHIRIT, Myriem/POFFO, Milena (EKU-W) 8-6
