ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Starting the 2009 season with a two-match trip to the Mountain Time Zone, the LSU women’s tennis team earned its second win in three days by defeating New Mexico, 4-3, on Monday afternoon at the Randy Briggs Tennis Bubble.
The Lady Tigers opened the day sweeping the Lobos in doubles play. The 17th-ranked duo of Megan Falcon and Mykala Hedberg finished first on court one by defeating Ola Abou-Zekry and Maria Sotirchos, 8-4. The pair improved their record to 14-3 after the match.
Nicole Kantor and Staten Spencer clinched the doubles point as they beat Ashley Bonner and Manumea Durie, 8-5, on court three. On court two Hannah Robinson and Whitney Wolf sealed the sweep by beating Emma Hayman and Mackenzie White, 8-4.
New Mexico (0-1) earned its first win of the match when Hayman defeated Wolf, 6-3, 6-4, in singles play.
After the match was tied at, 1-1, the Lady Tigers did not waste any time in picking up the pace as No. 5 Falcon cruised past Ola Abou-Zekry, 6-1, 6-4. Falcon improved her singles record to 15-4 after the victory.
Soon after Kantor knocked off Sotirchos, 6-2, 6-1, to put LSU up 3-1, Spencer clinched the match by racing past Bonner, 6-4, 6-3.
With a victory in hand after building a 4-1 advantage over the Lobos, Robinson was up a set, 7-5, against Durie when head coach Tony Minnis defaulted her match due to a lingering injury from the fall.
Hedberg defeated New Mexico’s White, 6-2, in the first set but lost, 7-6, in the next set, forcing a super tiebreaker. After a hard-fought battle, Hedberg fell to White, 10-7, to make the final score 4-3.
“I’m really happy to get a win. We played really well. New Mexico was a tough team, so we’re happy to pull out the win,” Minnis said.
The Lady Tigers will travel next to Los Angeles, Calif., where they will play DePaul on Jan. 31 in the ITA Kick-Off Weekend.
#26 LSU 4, #49 New Mexico 3
January 19, 2009 at Albuquerque, N.M. (Randy Briggs Tennis Bubble)
Singles
1. #5 Megan Falcon (LSU) def. Ola Abou-Zekry (UNM) 6-1, 6-4
2. Mackenzie White (UNM) def. Mykala Hedberg (LSU) 2-6, 7-6, 10-7
3. Emma Hayman (UNM) def. Whitney Wolf (LSU) 6-3, 6-4
4. Nicole Kantor (LSU) def. Maria Sotirchos (UNM) 6-2, 6-1
5. Manumea Durie (UNM) def. Hannah Robinson (LSU) 5-7, retired
6. Staten Spencer (LSU) def. Ashley Bonner (UNM) 6-4, 6-3
Doubles
1. #17 Megan Falcon/Mykala Hedberg (LSU) def. Ola Abou-Zekry/Maria Sotirchos (UNM) 8-4
2. Hannah Robinson/Whitney Wolf (LSU) def. Emma Hayman /Mackenzie White (UNM) 8-5
3. Nicole Kantor/Staten Spencer (LSU) def. Ashley Bonner/Manumea Durie (UNM) 8-4
Match Notes
LSU 2-0; National ranking #26
New Mexico 0-1; National ranking #49
Order of Finish
Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (3,1,4,6,5,2)