HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The Northwestern State tennis team fell in their season opener Saturday to UT Chattanooga, 6-1.
 
Despite the loss, the Lady Demons' (0-1) second-year head coach Marcos Morelli is optimistic.
 
"It went well, we got a lot of tennis in," says Morelli. "We got a lot of close scores; those are ultimately the type of matches we want to get. We fought hard in the end."
 
Sophomore Honoka Umeda started her season picking up a win against the Moc's Rozalie Dohnalova, 6-7(6-8), 6-3, 6-3.
 
That would be the only singles-match win for the Lady Demons.
 
Senior Tjasa Klevisar dropped her season-opening match to UTC's Madlena Orlova 4-6, 6-2, 3-6.
 
Junior Zoi Spyrou started her singles match being up one after the first set 7-6(7-5) then dropping the last two sets to UTC's Savannah Presson, 2-6, 3-6. Sophomore Maria Farina suffered the same fate, winning the first set to Emma Pedretti 6-2, before losing the last two sets 2-6, 1-6.
 
Freshmen Pika Doberlet, 6-4, 5-7, 5-7, and Valeria Ortega, 7-6(7-2), 2-6, 1-6, lost at the hands of the Mocs in three sets.
 
"In this match, there were a couple of key moments where we didn't do the right thing," says Morelli. "Our message is to do the right things all the time. Unfortunately, we allowed the other team to do the right things. In important moments, we didn't play great. We missed some easy shots and allowed our opponent to get better. In the end, we ran out of gas."
 
Spyrou and Ortega connected in doubles and got a crucial win against Margaret Manolache and Zara Burns, 6-3.
 
Umeda and Farina teamed up in the first doubles match, losing to the Mocs' Alice Hall and Rozalie Dohnalova, 4-6.
 
Klevisar and Doberlet lost to Madlena Orlova and Savannah Presson, 6-7.
 
"In the end, we ran out of gas," says Morelli.

The Lady Demons return to action against the host Southern Miss Golden Eagles tomorrow at 11 a.m.
 
 
UT Chattanooga 6, Northwestern State 1
 
Hattiesburg, Miss.
Southern Miss Tennis Complex
 
Singles Competition
Honoka Umeda (NSU) def. Rozalie Dohnalova (UTC) 6-7(6-8), 6-3, 6-3
Madlena Orlova (UTC) def. Tjasa Klevisar (NSU) 2-6, 6-4, 3-6
Savannah Presson (UTC) def. Zoi Spyrou (NSU) 7-6(7-5), 3-6, 3-6
Emma Pedretti (UTC) def. Maria Farina (NSU) 6-2, 2-6, 1-6
Zara Burns (UTC) def. Valeria Ortega (NSU) 7-6(7-2), 2-6, 1-6
Margaret Manolache (UTC) def. Pika Doberlet (NSU) 6-4, 5-7, 5-7
 
Doubles Competition
Alice Hall/Rozalie Dohnalova (UTC) def. Honoka Umeda/Maria Farina (NSU) 4-6
Madlena Orlova/Savannah Presson (UTC) def. Tjasa Klevisar/Pika Doberlet (NSU) 6-7
Zoi Spyrou/Valeria Ortega (NSU) def. Margaret Manolache/Zara Burns (UTC) 6-3