KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The seventh-ranked Texas A&M women’s tennis team returned to winning form on Sunday by topping Tennessee, 4-0, at Barksdale Stadium in Knoxville. The Aggies improve to 14-4 and 7-2 in Southeastern Conference, play while the Lady Volunteers drop to 9-10 and 3-6 in conference.
“Today wasn’t one of our better performances, and yet we were able to get the victory against a feisty and tough Lady Vol team,” Texas A&M head coach Howard Joffe said. “Our ladies will need to understand that we need to get better if we want to chase the elite teams.”
After dropping their first two conference doubles matches of the season on Friday, the Aggies wasted no time in posting two doubles victories to claim the point. The 60th-ranked tandem of Ines Deheza and Saska Gavrilovska downed Ambika Pande and Laurence Guevremont, 8-2, at the No. 2 line for the first doubles victory. Moments later, A&M’s duo of Rutuja Bhosale and Anna Mamalat bested Brittany Lindl and Victoria Olivarez, 8-3, at the No. 3 line to claim the early 1-0 advantage in the match.
Stefania Hristov wasted no time adding on to the Aggies’ early advantage as she quickly dispatched Lindl, 6-0, 6-1, from the No. 3 line. The sophomore posted her 10th dual-match victory of the season with the win.
Cristina Stancu pushed A&M ahead 3-0 after posting a victory at the No. 1 line. The Aggies lone senior and the ITA’s 12th-ranked player knocked off Joanna Henderson, 6-3, 6-1, to remain unbeaten in SEC action.
Bhosale secured the victory for the Maroon and White with a victory in straight sets at the No. 5 line. The freshman defeated Tiffany Tavares, 6-2, 6-3, to give the Aggies their eighth win in their last nine matches.
“Rutuja Bhosale was likely our top performer with excellent tennis by her in both singles and doubles,” Joffe said.
A&M concludes its SEC road schedule next weekend, playing at No. 6 Alabama on Friday, April 4 and at No. 20 Auburn Sunday, April 6.
Visit AggieAthletics.com for more information on Texas A&M women’s tennis. Aggie fans also can keep up to date with the A&M women’s tennis team on Twitter by following @AggieWTEN or on Facebook at Facebook.com/AggieWomensTennis.
No. 7 Texas A&M 4, No. 39 Tennessee 0
Barksdale Stadium
Knoxville, Tenn.
March 30, 2014
Singles
1. #12 Cristina Stancu (TAMU) def. Joanna Henderson (TENN) 6-3, 6-1
2. #62 Saska Gavrilovska (TAMU) vs. Laurence Guevremont (TENN) 6-7 (2), 3-3 (unfinished)
3. Stefania Hristov (TAMU) def. Brittany Lindl (TENN) 6-0, 6-1
4. #109 Anna Mamalat (TAMU) vs. Victoria Olivarez (TENN) 6-2, 4-6, 0-2 (unfinished)
5. Rutuja Bhosale (TAMU) def. Tiffany Tavares (TENN) 6-2, 6-3
6. Jana McCord vs. Ambika Pande (TENN) 7-6 (1), 1-2 (unfinished)
Doubles (TAMU wins the point)
1. #23 Hristov/Stancu (TAMU) vs. #75 Henderson/Williams (TENN) 5-6 (unfinished)
2. #60 Deheza/Gavrilovska (TAMU) def. Pande/Guevremont (TENN) 8-2
3. Bhosale/Mamalat (TAMU) def. Lindl/Olivarez (TENN) 8-3
Order of finish
Singles: 3, 1, 5
Doubles: 2, 3
Team records
Texas A&M: 14-4, 7-2 SEC
Tennessee: 9-10, 3-6 SEC
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics