The teams close out their Georgia trip tomorrow against Campbellsville
MACON, Ga. – The Loyola University New Orleans men's and women's tennis teams continued their Georgia road trip on Monday, with each team taking on Cumberland at the John Drew Smith Tennis Center.
"Tough day for the Wolf Pack today," said assistant coach Eduardo Garcia, as each Cumberland team was ranked in the most recent NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll.
In men's doubles, the duo of Joseph Short and Ernesto Telles was able to score an 8-6 win at the No. 3 position, but the seventh-ranked Phoenix squad was too much in singles, winning three singles matches to clinch.
"Joey and Telles got the only win of the day in a hard fought battle," said Garcia, "but we were not able to keep it going into singles and lacked some fire we definitely needed."
The women's match was a battle of teams separated by just one spot in the polls, with Loyola coming in at No. 19 and Cumberland at No. 18.
"On the women's side, it was a closer battle," Garcia said, "but we were not able to win some key points and lost our focus when we most needed it."
The Pack started well, claiming the first two doubles points. The team of Chandler Harmon and Nadja Ochsner started off with an 8-4 win at the No. 3 spot in their third-straight doubles win together. Then Manuela Alban and Catherine Jordan followed with an 8-3 win on court two.
The Phoenix women's team responded with two consecutive wins at the No. 1 spot in singles and doubles, then Alban got the Pack back out in front with a 6-0, 6-2 victory at No. 3. The fourth point came from Gabrielle Terranova, who won 6-4, 6-2 on court six. Cumberland was able to tie the score at 4-4, however, and clinch the match win after a tough three-setter on court four with Arianna Pepper being edged out 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.
Both Wolf Pack squads return to action tomorrow, March 5, to take on Campbellsville in matches starting at 11 a.m. Like Cumberland, both Tiger teams are ranked inside the top 20, with the men's team coming in at ninth and the women's team 20th.
"Our focus is now on tomorrow's match against Campbellsville," said Garcia, "and we hope to bring out the fire and have a successful final day of our trip!"
You can keep up with the Pack this season by following Wolf Pack Athletics on Facebook at Facebook.com/LoyolaWolfPack, Twitter and Instagram @LoyolaWolfPack, and by checking out our website at LoyolaWolfPack.com.
Men's Results
Loyola (RV) – 1
No. 7 Cumberland – 5
Doubles
1. Thiago Lopes/Lucich (CU) def. Cabrales/Cheung (LOY) 8-6
2. Grabuleda Cruañas/Fernandez Meaca (CU) def. DePascual/Marin (LOY) 8-5
3. Short/Telles (LOY) def. Aleksandar Milosevic/Pardos (CU) 8-6
Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1
Singles
1. Pau Grabuleda Cruañas (CU) def. Galileo Cabrales (LOY) 5-2, retired
2. Ramon Puertolas (CU) vs. Tiger Cheung (LOY) 3-6, unfinished
3. Axel Lucich (CU) def. Samuel Marin (LOY) 6-3, 6-2
4. Francisco Fernandez Meaca (CU) def. Alexander DePascual (LOY) 6-1, 6-1
5. Guillermo Pardos (CU) vs Ernesto Telles (LOY) 6-5, unfinished
6. Alejo Bagnera (CU) vs Joseph Short (LOY) 6-4, 1-2, unfinished
Order of finish: 1, 4, 3
Women's Results
No. 19 Loyola – 4
No. 18 Cumberland – 5
Doubles
1. Garrido/Hernandez (CU) def. Martinez/Pepper (LOY) 8-6
2. Alban/Jordan (LOY) def. Landi/Dmitrovic (CU) 8-3
3. Harmon/Ochsner (LOY) def. Humphrey/Navaratnam (CU) 8-4
Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1
Singles
1. Ainhoa Garijo Garrido (CU) def. Chandler Harmon (LOY) 6-1, 6-1
2. Jessica Hernandez (CU) def. Koral Martinez (LOY) 7-5, 6-1
3. Manuela Alban (LOY) def. Ksenija Dmitrovic (CU) 6-0, 6-2
4. Marianela Landi (CU) def. Arianna Pepper (LOY) 3-6, 6-1, 6-2
5. Kylie Humphrey (CU) def. Nadja Ochsner (LOY) 6-2, 5-7, 6-0
6. Gabrielle Terranova (LOY) def. Stafanie Navaratnam (CU) 6-4, 6-2
Order of finish: 1, 3, 2, 6, 4, 5
