SAN MARCOS, Texas-- After falling behind 2-0, the Northwestern State tennis team rallied for a 4-2 win at Texas State Sunday, with junior Judit Castillo Gargallo providing the clinching point.
 
It was the fourth consecutive win for the Lady Demons (4-1), which fell 4-3 in their opener at Tulane last month. This win was the third consecutive for NSU over Texas State after winning the previous two years both 5-2.
 
The match was forced indoors and there were only two accessible courts, so the teams played two singles at a time. Doubles would be played only if it were the deciding point.
 
"It was a long day using two indoor courts," head coach Patric DuBois said. "But we battled through for the victory."
 
NSU fell behind 2-0 after losses in the top two singles positions, but the squad stormed back and swept the matches at singles spots 3, 4 and 5 before Castillo Gargallo won in three sets at No. 6 to clinch the contest for the Lady Demons.
 
"Texas State played very well, came out aggressive and put us on our heels winning the first two matches," DuBois said. "Our remaining players did a great job of playing under pressure when we fell in a 2-0 hole."
 
Castillo Gargallo improved to a perfect 5-0 on the season with a come-from-behind victory over Andrea Fuchs. She dropped a tough first set 7-5, but took control after that, rolling in the final two sets 6-3, 6-0, to claim her match and clinch the win for NSU.
 
Like the team as a whole, junior Ela Iwaniuk dropped her first match at Tulane, but also like the team, she has won her last four singles contests. Sunday afternoon, she registered a convincing 6-0, 6-3 win at No. 5 over Joy Chia Ming Ming that pushed the Lady Demons in front 3-2.
 
Sophomore Patrycja Polanska also lost her match against Tulane, but has gone undefeated since, winning three and not finishing the other. She controlled her match No. 4 match Sunday and won in decisive fashion 6-1, 6-3.
 
After playing NSU's first four matches in either No. 1 or 2 singles, redshirt freshman Rhea Verma dropped down to No. 3 and won 6-2, 6-4, squaring the overall match at 2-2.
 
The day began with senior Polina Mutel an freshman Maria Skyba, who played the top two singles positions.
 
Mutel, coming back after missing the previous three dual matches, lost 6-1, 6-2 at No. 2 to Texas State's Rishona Israel-Lewis. At No. 1, freshman Maria Skyba fell 6-2, 6-1 to Ana Perez, giving the Bobcats a quick 2-0 advantage.
 
Once Iwaniuk finished off her victory at No. 5, doubles play began in case Texas State tied it up. Mutel and Skyba rebounded with a quick 6-3 victory over Perez and Julia Navajo-Melendez. Polanska and Verma were warming up as Castillo Gargallo closed out the match.
 
NSU next plays at North Texas Feb. 22 before returning home for the conference opener when the Lady Demons host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi March 1.
 
Singles
 
1. Ana Perez (TXST) def. Maria Skyba (NSU) 6-2, 6-1
2. Rishona Israel-Lewis (TXST) def. Polina Mutel 6-1, 6-2
3. Rhea Verma (NSU) def. Julia Navajo-Melendez 6-2, 6-4
4. Patrycja Polanska (NSU) def. Josefina Cassara 6-1, 6-3
5. Ela Iwaniuk (NSU) def. Joy Chia Ming Ming 6-0, 6-3
6. Judit Castillo Gargallo (NSU) def. Andrea Fuchs 5-7, 6-3, 6-0
 
Doubles
 
1. Polina Mutel/Maria Skyba (NSU) def. Ana Perez/Julia Navajo-Melendez 6-3
2. Patrycja Polanska/Rhea Verma (NSU) vs. Rishona Israel-Lewis/Josefina Cassara DNF
3. Judit Castillo Gargallo/Emilija Dancetovic (NSU) vs. Joy Chia Ming Ming/Sofia Murcia-Rodriguez DNF