Feb. 17, 2007
Columbia, Mo. - .-- The University of Missouri women's tennis team kicked off its seven-match home stand on a good note Saturday by defeating Murray State, 6-1. The Tigers swept the doubles matches and earned victories in all but one singles match to earn their second win of the season.
The win gives Mizzou a 2-2 record. Murray State falls to 1-3.
After the match, Tiger Head Coach Blake Starkey was pleased with the doubles matches.
"Today was a day where we played how I want us to play (in doubles), especially at No. 1."
The No. 1 doubles match started with a tight game that featured five deuce points. The Tigers won the game to take a 1-0 lead early in the match. Behind Wagner's strong first serves and her good play at the net, and McKenzie's powerful serves, the Tigers jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the match. The Lask twins stormed back to win the next three games to make it a contest at 5-3. But at 5-3, McKenzie won her serve, the Tigers then broke Murray State's serve and Wagner won her serve to win the match, 8-3.
In the No. 2 match, Erika Josbena and Amanda Pratzel won the final four games after finding themselves down 6-3. In their comeback win, the duo used strong serving and smart lob shots to edge their way back into the match. After holding serve and breaking their opponent, Josbena and Pratzel continued their momentum into the tiebreak, which they won 7-5. The win was accented on the final point when Josbena easily put away a Murray State lob.
At No. 3 doubles, Chrissy Svetlic and Kaitlin Dunham stormed out to a 4-1 lead, and the Racer duo of Lindsay Ottosen and Lynsey Bochenek tried to come back, winning two more matches, but Svetlic and Dunham were able to close it out and pick up an 8-3 victory.
The Tigers finished off the Racers by winning five of the six singles matches. At No. 2, Pratzel found herself down a set to Rachel Lask but came back to win the following two and the match. After losing the first set she battled back in the second to win a very even-handed set in the tiebreak. Pratzel then carried her surge into the third set, easily putting away Lask to clinch another win on the early season.
At the No. 3 singles spot, Svetlic and McGahee were tied at 4-4 in the first set before Svetlic broke McGahee's serve to make it 5-4. Svetlic then closed out the set on her serve. She took the momentum into the second set, winning 6-1 to take the match, 6-4, 6-1.
At No. 4, sophomore Raquel Wagner earned a three set victory over Murray State's Casady Pruitt, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (5).
At No. 5 singles, freshman Kaitlin Dunham extended her season-long winning streak to four as she took care of Murray State's Lyndsay Ottosen, 6-0, 6-2. Dunham is off to the best start by a freshman since Hana Kraftova started 9-0 in 2003.
Junior Charlotte Bellis earned her second victory of the spring by defeating Lynsey Bochenek at No. 6, 6-3, 6-2.
At No. 1 singles, Erika Josbena fell to Anna Lask in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2. Lask earned her team-leading third victory of the season.
Aggies invade the Show-Me State The 29th-ranked Texas A&M women's tennis squad visits the Green Tennis Center Sunday at 11 a.m. in their second Big 12 contest of the season. The Aggies defeated Iowa State, 7-0, Friday. A&M is now 7-1 overall and 1-0 in the Big 12. Sunday's match is free and the public is welcomed to attend.
Results
Murray State at Missouri
Sat. Feb. 17, 2007
Green Tennis Center Indoor Courts
Columbia, Missouri
Doubles 1. Katelyn McKenzie/Raquel Wagner (MU) def. Anna Lask/Rachel Lask (MUR) 8-3
2. Erika Josbena/Amanda Pratzel (MU) def. Lindsay Ottosen//Casady Pruitt (MUR) 8-7 (5)
3. Chrissy Svetlic/Kaitlin Dunham (MU) def. Lynsey Bochenek/Angela McGahee (MUR) 8-3
Singles
1. Anna Lask (MUR) def. Erika Josbena (MU) 6-4, 6-2
2. Amanda Pratzel (MU) def. Rachel Lask (MUR) 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3
3. Chrissy Svetlic (MU) def. Angela McGahee (MUR) 6-4, 6-1
4. Raquel Wagner (MU) def. Cadasy Pruitt (MUR) 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (5)
5. Kaitlin Dunham (MU) def. Lindsay Ottosen (MUR) 6-0, 6-2
6. Charlotte Bellis (MU) def. Lynsey Bochenek (MUR) 6-3, 6-2