NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State tallied three singles wins and fell just short as the women's tennis team lost to No. 60 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 4-3 in the Lady Demon's Southland Conference opener on Saturday afternoon at the Jack Fisher Tennis Complex.
 
The loss drops NSU to 5-4 overall and 0-1 in SLC action while the nationally ranked Islanders improve to a perfect 9-0 overall and 2-0 in Southland play.
 
“This was a very good match today,” said NSU tennis head coach Patric DuBois. “Both teams competed at a high level and fought hard. Corpus Christi is well coach and did a lot of good things today. We counteracted well but, in the end, fell just short.”
 
The Islanders went 2-1 in doubles competition to start the day off with the doubles point and a 1-0 lead.
 
Junior Polina Konop and freshman Natalya Krutova notched the lone doubles win for the Lady Demons, taking down AMCC's Chelsea Horan and Sandra Burges 8-2 at the No. 2 position.
 
Krutova registered the first point of the day for NSU after defeating Maider Martin 6-1, 6-0 in the third position.
 
Tatiana Larina won 7-6 (1), 7-5 in the second spot against Burges and Konop battled it out with Doris Kuselj at the No. 1 position to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.
 
The match was tied at 3-3 after NSU's Daniela Simonova and Olga Leyshyna fell in the fifth and sixth spots and the No. 4 match became the deciding factor.
 
Senior Andrea Nedorostova took the first set off of Stefania Nicolae 5-7 before dropping the second 6-4 to take it to a third set. Nedorostova fought hard but was unable to take the win, falling 6-3 in the final set.
 
The Lady Demons match against Sam Houston State on Sunday had been postponed due to inclemate weather and is now set for Friday, March 22.
 
NSU hosts Louisiana Tech in non-conference action next Thursday at 2 o'clock. 
 
 
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 4, Northwestern State 3
Women's Tennis at the Jack Fisher Tennis Complex
March 9, 2013 at Natchitoches, La.
 
Singles Competition
1. Polina Konop (NSU) def. Doris Kuselj 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
2. Tatiana Larina (NSU) def. Sandra Burges 7-6 (1), 7-5
3. Natalya Krutova (NSU) def. Maider Martin 6-1, 6-0
4. Stefania Nicolae (AMCC) def. Andrea Nedorostova 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
5. Chelsea Horan (AMCC) def. Olga Leyshyna 7-6 (5), 6-2
6. Celia Rodriguez (AMCC) def. Daniela Simonova 6-4, 6-4
 
Doubles Competition
1. Kuselj/Nicolae (AMCC) def. Larina/Nedorostova 8-4
2. Konop/Krutova (NSU) def. Horan/Burges 8-6
3. Martin/Mia Matuszak (AMCC) def. Amy Williams/Simonova 8-2