April 4, 2008
Columbia, Mo. - The 31st-ranked Texas A&M Aggies (11-6/5-1 Big 12) defeated the Missouri Tigers (9-9/1-5 Big 12), 5-2, Friday afternoon on the Green Tennis Center's indoor courts. Mizzou freshman Maureen Modesto earned her ninth singles match this spring, and 21st overall this season, and Sofia Ayala won her second-straight conference match, but it was not enough to topple the Aggies, who won their fifth conference match of the year.
"They are perennially one of the top teams in the Big 12," Tiger Head Coach Blake Starkey said. "We had our chances, but they were just better than us today."
The Tigers did have their chances, and they pulled out two singles wins. But several close losses in singles and doubles play hurt Mizzou's upset bid.
The Tigers played tough in doubles competition, but A&M was able to take all three matches to win the doubles point. At No. 1 doubles, the Aggie duo of Anna Blagodarova and Tiffany Clifford beat Mizzou's Kaitlin Dunham and Sofia Ayala, 8-6. At No. 2, A&M's Christi Liles and Elze Potgieter beat Chrissy Svetlic and Mallory Weber, 8-5. The Aggie duo of Stephanie Davidson and Morgan Frank beat Mizzou's Jessica Giuggioli and Kaitlyn Ritchie, 8-4.
The match then moved into singles play, where the Tigers would pick up two wins; Modesto's victory at No. 4 and Ayala's at No. 6.
Modesto won her second Big 12 singles match of the spring by playing smart and patient, hitting the ball hard and keeping it in play, as she beat Tiffany Clifford in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1. This is the first time Mizzou has beaten the A&M senior since her freshman season of 2005. Over the past two years, the Tigers had only taken a combined two games from her.
Ayala also played smart and patient, something she has been working with Starkey as a new strategy to improve her game. She outlasted Davidson, 6-3, 7-5, to claim her seventh win of the spring, and 13th overall since joining the Tigers from the University of Alabama. The win marks her second straight-set win over a Big 12 opponent. Last Sunday (March 30) she defeated Baylor's Natalie Holmes, 6-0, 6-2.
But Texas A&M took the other four singles contests to win the match, 5-2.
Giuggioli looked impressive in her first set against No. 75 Potgieter, taking a 6-4 win. She could not continue her good play; however, as Potgieter took the next two sets, 6-0, 6-0, to earn another conference win at No. 1 singles.
Weber was competitive in the No. 2 spot. After Liles won the first set, 6-2, Weber came back to win the second by the same score. Liles was too much for the Mizzou freshman in the end, though, as she took an easy, 6-1, third set win to take the match.
Bladodarova defeated Svetlic, 6-0, 6-1, at No. 3 and Frank beat Ritchie, 6-4, 6-4, at No. 5, stopping her three-match conference winning streak.
She will try to start a new Big 12 winning streak when the Tigers host No. 19 Texas Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Green Tennis Center. The match will serve as Svetlic's senior send-off, as it will be Mizzou's last home contest of the season. Admission is free and fans are encouraged to attend.
Results
(31) Texas A&M (11-6/5-1 Big 12) 5
Missouri (9-9/1-5 Big 12) 2
Friday, April 4, 2008
Green Tennis Center - Indoor Courts
Columbia, Mo.
Singles
1. (75) Elze Potgieter (A&M) def. Jessica Giuggioli (MU) 4-6, 6-0, 6-0
2. Christi Liles (A&M) def. Mallory Weber (MU) 6-2, 2-6, 6-1
3. Anna Blagodarova (A&M) def. Chrissy Svetlic (MU) 6-0, 6-1
4. Maureen Modesto (MU) def. Tiffany Clifford (A&M) 6-3, 6-1
5. Morgan Frank (A&M) def. Kaitlyn Ritchie (MU) 6-4, 6-4
6. Sofia Ayala (MU) def. Stephanie Davidson (A&M) 6-3, 7-5
Order of finish: 3, 4, 2, 1*,5, 6
*Clinched match victory for A&M
Doubles
1. Blagodarova/Clifford (A&M) def. Dunham/Ayala (MU) 8-6
2. Liles/Potgieter (A&M) def. Svetlic/Weber (MU), 8-5
3. Davidson/Frank (A&M) def. Giuggioli/Ritchie (MU), 8-4
Order of finish: 3, 1, 2