April 12, 2008

Results

RUSTON, La. - The Louisiana Tech tennis team held off an excited Grambling State home crowd to get a 5-2 win in its regular season finale. The Lady Techsters swept the singles matches played to get the win.

Tech played down one player and had to default the No. 6 singles and No. 3 doubles matches to Grambling State, and Ada Makowska kept her winning streak alive.

Makowska defeated Faith Williams in the No. 3 singles match in straight sets 6-2, 6-2. Makowska finishes the regular season on a five-match winning streak and having won seven of her last eight.

Rocio Juarez defeated Maia Semendjuva in three sets. After falling 7-5 in the first set, Juarez battled back to win 6-0, 6-4 and close the match. Ashley Wedderburn bested Maliana Davis 6-3, 6-2 for a win while Mallory Smith defeated Patricia Gallegos in three sets 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. Carolina Pachon held off Airien Williams 7-5, 6-4 for the win at No. 5 singles.

In doubles action the team of Juarez and Makowska fell to Davis and Semendjuva 8-4 in the No. 1 slot, and Airien Williams teamed with Gallegos to defeat Smith and Wedderburn also 8-4.

Tech coach Quintin Yray said he was glad to see his team overcome a hostile crowd and end the season with a win before heading to the conference tournament.

"All the girls played tough all the way around," Yray said. "They were a bit nervous at the beginning due to the Grambling crowd, but they battled through it and got another win. Hopefully, we can ride this positive match into the conference tournament."

Tech (4-16) will have nearly two weeks to prepare for the Western Athletic Conference Championship in Las Cruces, N.M. The tournament begins April 24 with New Mexico State playing host.