Story by Sarah Combs, Staff writer
The Racers went 1-1 this weekend, pulling out a 4-3 win on Friday against Lipscomb but losing their match Saturday against Wright State 7-0.
LIPSCOMB
The Racers match against Lipscomb was pushed back Friday, which caused a quick turnaround for the Wright State match.
Erin Patton, senior from Memphis, Tennessee, and Haily Morgan, freshman from Anthem, Arizona, set the pace for the Racers, winning their doubles match 6-3.
Megan Blue, senior from Mississauga, Ontario, and freshman Amina Hadzic from Esbjerg, Denmark, couldn’t find the beat, losing their match 6-3. However, freshman Jeanne Mason, junior from Dinard, France, and junior Alina Schibol, junior from Hamburg, Germany, delivered a win and the doubles point for the Racers finishing their match 7-5. The win gave the Racers an early 1-0 lead going into singles.
The Racers struggled in singles but were able to pull enough wins together to finish off the day. Blue set the bar, winning her singles match 6-3, 6-1. Hadzic followed suit, earning the second win 7-6. Schibol delivered the promise of a win for the Racers, wrapping up her singles match 7-5.
“They played great tennis; they were very supportive at midnight,” Head Coach Jorge Caetano said about the Racers late night. “They had a lot of energy and were all supportive.”
WRIGHT STATE
The Racers were scheduled to host Wright State for their first home game at the Bennie Purcell Tennis Courts on Saturday, but traveled to Clarksville to compete because of weather conditions.
The Racers felt fatigue early in the match, losing the doubles point and opening singles in the trailing position. Despite the early loss, Caetano said the team was able to learn from the situation and will be prepared for similar situations in the future.
“We saw a lot of positives,” Caetano said. “We gotta be able to bounce back and be ready for everything.”
Murray State couldn’t find its groove and were swept by Wright State through singles 7-0. The Racers saw a glimpse of hope from Hadzic, who took the lead early in her singles match but couldn’t finish, falling in the second and third match 6-3, 6-3. The Racers fought through their matches but the Wolves responded every time.
“They had answers for everything,” Caetano said. “When we came with a lot of energy, Wright State just had answers.”
The Racers look forward to starting the OVC on Friday at Morehead State. The Racers then play at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Eastern Kentucky.