Box Score

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Slow starts in singles matches put the Northwestern State tennis team in a hole in its Southland Conference Tournament semifinal match against top-seeded Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

As such, the Lady Demons fell to the regular-season conference champions 4-0 in a match that was tighter than the score indicated.

"Congratulations to Corpus, they competed well today and hung in there on a lot of spots. We are sad for the Team and our Seniors to have our season end this way," said head coach Jonas Brobeck. "However, we really came together towards the end of the season and put ourselves in a position to go all the way."

NSU (13-9) fell behind early in doubles as Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's Emma Aucagne and Victoire Delattre snapped a 3-all tie by winning the final three games. The Lady Demons squared the doubles competition with No. 1 team Ayu Ishibashi and Tjasa Klevisar edged Naomi McKenzie and Sofia Pinto with a 7-3 tiebreaker win, forcing the doubles point to the final match.

Down 5-2, NSU's Dorota Szczygielska and Sofi Garcia mounted a comeback to even things at 5 but could not take the lead, falling 7-5 to Palina Saulevich and Katezyna RuBlevska.

In singles play, Northwestern State dropped five of the six first sets although Ishibashi at No. 2 fell to McKenzie, 7-6, dropping the tiebreaker 8-6. 

Garcia had the lone first-set win against the Islanders, defeatingValeziia Chezfus 6-4 in the first set. The match was called with the second set tied 2-2.

Renske Ubachs dropped a straight-set decision – 6-1, 6-0 – to RuBlevska at No. 6 singles while Sofia Pinto's 6-3, 6-0 win against Paige Wise gave Corpus a 3-0 advantage in the match.

Corpus Christi clinched the match with another straight-set win at No. 5 singles. 

Mariella Minetti held the lead for the majority of the first set but fell 7-5 to Delattre. Minetti captured just one in the second set, falling 6-1.

Tennis Match Results

Northwestern State v. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

April 21, 2023

TAMUCC 4, NSU 0

SINGLES:

1.Emma Aucagne (TAMUCC) v. Tjasa Klevisar (NSU) 6-4, 3-2 UNF

2.Naomi McKenzie (TAMUCC) v. Ayu Ishibashi (NSU) 7-6(8-6) UNF

3.Sofia Pinto (TAMUCC) def. Paige Wise (NSU) 6-1, 6-3

4.Sofi Garcia (NSU) v. Valeziia Chezfus (TAMUCC) 6-4, 2-2 UNF

5.Victoire Delattre (TAMUCC) def. Mariella Minetti (NSU) 7-5, 6-1

6.Katezyna RuBlevska (TAMUCC) def. Renske Ubachs (NSU) 6-1, 6-0

Order of Finish: 6, 3, 5

DOUBLES:

1.Tjasa Klevisar/Ayu Ishibashi (NSU) def. Naomi McKenzie/Sofia Pinto (TAMUCC) 7-6(7-3)

2.Emma Aucagne/Victorie Delattze (TAMUCC) def. Paige Wise/Mariella Minetti (NSU) 6-3

3.Palina Saulevich/Katezyna RuBlevska (TAMUCC) def. Dorota Szczygielska/Sofi Garcia (NSU) 7-5

Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3