HAMMOND, La. – The Loyola University New Orleans women's tennis team has shown it can hang close with NCAA Division-I opponents through two matches in the early spring season. After falling to Nicholls 4-3 in the season opener, the Wolf Pack again were barely edged out 4-3 by Southeastern Louisiana on Tuesday.
Unlike the Nicholls match, Loyola came away with the doubles point on Tuesday behind strong performances at the top two flights. After the Pack dropped the court 3 match, Lucy Carpenter and Fatima Vasquez got a 6-4 win at No. 1 doubles. The court 2 match was tied at 6-6 for the second-straight match, but this time, Micaela Ponce and Ariana Salgueiro-Estela picked up the victory, winning 7-5 in the tiebreak.
In singles, Adele Fereres picked up where she left off after a pair of wins in the Nicholls match. Fereres won in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3 to start off singles and put the Pack up 2-0 in the match. Southeastern won three straight singles matches to go up 3-2, but Fatima Vasquez got one back for Loyola with a three-set, 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 win on court 3. The match came down to Ponce's court 2 duel which also went to three sets, but the Lions player won to take the match.
Loyola's first NAIA dual match is coming up later in the week on Sunday, February 25th, a road matchup with the NAIA's No. 3-ranked team, Xavier. The match will be held at the XULA Tennis Center, scheduled for 12 p.m.
"Very proud of how our women fought today. They played for each other and played to win against a solid SLU team. These losses are tough because we believe we can win them. It's still early in the spring and a great learning experience for us. We are a great team with great things to come."
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Results
No. 15 Loyola – 3
Southeastern – 4
Doubles
1. #20 L. Carpenter/Vasquez (LOYNO) def. Bierma/Gomez (SLU) 6-4
2. Ponce/Salgueiro-Estela (LOYNO) def. Bolsova/Suanarsa (SLU) 7-6 (7-5)
3. Csordas/Perez (SLU) def. A. Fereres/Henderson (LOYNO) 6-2
Order of finish: 3, 1, 2
Singles
1. Alba Perez (SLU) def. Lucy Carpenter (LOYNO) 6-3, 3-6, 6-1
2. Leana Gomez (SLU) def. Micaela Ponce (LOYNO) 7-5, 3-6, 6-4
3. Fatima Vasquez (LOYNO) def. Claudia Di Leonardo (SLU) 1-6, 6-3, 7-5
4. Kate Oborina (SLU) def. Chloe Henderson (LOYNO) 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)
5. Adele Fereres (LOYNO) def. Bente Bierma (SLU) 6-4, 6-3
6. Panatchakorn Suanarsa (SLU) def. Avery Frierson (LOYNO) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
Order of finish: 5, 4, 1, 6, 3, 2
