University of Missouri
Brigham Young
Freshmen Shine as @MizzouTennis Outlasts BYU, 4-3
2/3/2017 5:19:00 PM | Tennis
Both Tate Schroeder and Mackenzy Middlebrooks picked up clutch singles wins to propel the Tigers
PROVO, UTAH – Mizzou Tennis (3-1) earned its third victory in six days as the Tigers took down BYU (1-1), 4-3, Friday afternoon in Provo, Utah. Mizzou leaned on its freshmen, getting a big singles win from Tate Schroeder (Centennial, Colo.) and a thrilling, dual-clinching victory from Mackenzy Middlebrooks (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) to earn its third victory of the season.
With the match score tied at 3-3, all eyes turned to the No. 6 singles matchup. Middlebrooks was up against fellow freshman Kate Cusick from BYU. The first set went back and forth before heading in to a seesaw tiebreaker. Middlebrooks and Cusick traded the lead several times, but Middlebrooks eventually emerged victorious, taking the set 7-6 (9).
Cusick prevailed in the second set, 6-4, forcing a winner-take-all, third set. After falling behind 1-4, Middlebrooks went on a tear, winning six of the next seven games to secure her second career dual singles win and Mizzou's third match victory of the season.
Mizzou could not secure the doubles point but battled back in singles play, winning four of six matches. Senior Bea Machado Santos (Lisbon, Portugal) scored a singles victory when her opponent defaulted in the opening set. The win was Santos' first singles dual win of the season, and tied the overall score at 1-1.
Schroeder continued her excellent start to the season with another singles victory, winning the No. 4 matchup 6-3, 6-2. Schroeder was confident and composed throughout the entire match as she improved her spring singles record to an unblemished 3-0.
BYU won at No. 3 singles to tie the score at 2-2, but junior Amina Ismail (Maineville, Ohio) seized the lead back for Mizzou with a 6-2, 6-2 victory in the No. 5 spot. The win was Ismail's second singles dual win and her team-leading 17th overall win of the campaign.
After Ismail's victory, the Cougars tied the match back up at 3-3, setting the table for Middlebrooks to clinch the hard-fought win.
Mizzou continues its 10-game road trip Friday, Feb. 10 against Kansas State. First serve is set for 4 p.m. C.T.
For all the latest on Mizzou Tennis, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook (MizzouTennis), Twitter (@MizzouTennis), and Instagram (@Mizzou_Tennis).
Match-by-Match Results:
Doubles:
No. 1 Mayci Jones/Kate Cusick (BYU) vs. Brianna Lashway/Amina Ismail (MIZ), 5-4, Abandoned
No. 2 Samantha Smith/Savannah Ware-Avina (BYU) def. Bea Machado Santos/Clare Raley (MIZ), 6-4
No. 3 Natella Nabieva/Polina Malykh (BYU) def. Cassidy Spearman/Tate Schroeder (MIZ), 6-1
Singles:
No. 1 Bea Machado Santos (MIZ) def. Mayci Jones (BYU), Forfeit
No. 2 Natella Nabieva (BYU) def. Brianna Lashway (MIZ), 7-5, 4-6, 6-3
No. 3 Savannah Ware-Avina (BYU) def. Cassidy Spearman (MIZ), 6-3, 6-3
No. 4 Tate Schroeder (MIZ) def. Polina Malykh (BYU), 6-3, 6-2
No. 5 Amina Ismail (MIZ) def. Samantha Smith (BYU), 6-2, 6-2
No. 6 Mackenzy Middlebrooks (MIZ) def. Kate Cusick (BYU), 7-6 (9), 4-6, 7-5
Players Mentioned
