University of Missouri
No. 17 Texas A&M
@MizzouTennis Takes Down No. 17 Texas A&M in Epic 4-3 Thriller
3/10/2017 10:09:00 PM | Tennis
It's the highest ranked opponent Mizzou has beaten in program history
COLUMBIA, MO. – In one of the best performances in program history, Mizzou (10-3, 1-1) upset the No. 17 Texas A&M Aggies (8-6, 0-3), 4-3, Friday night at the Mizzou Tennis Complex. This was the highest ranked team that Mizzou has beaten in program history and the first win over Texas A&M since Feb. 14, 2003. Freshman Mackenzy Middlebrooks (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) came through once again with a match-clinching win at No. 6, coming from behind to win the match 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-3 and give Mizzou its first SEC victory of the season.
"The biggest thing for us is not just being close anymore," head coach Colt Gaston said. "Tonight, we finally took that step. We aren't just competing against the best, we are beating the best. That's what we want to take from this."
With the dual score tied at 3-3, Middlebrooks stepped up with a chance to, once again, win the dual for the Tigers. After dropping the first set 4-6, Middlebrooks worked to force a tiebreaker in set two. After a grueling 14-point tiebreaker, Middlebrooks emerged victorious, forcing a winner-take-all third set. Once again, Middlebrooks had to come from behind, this time from a 1-3 deficit. Middlebrooks caught fire, winning five straight games and got the clutch win, 6-3, giving Mizzou the 4-3 dual victory.
Texas A&M took the doubles point, forcing Mizzou to have to win four of six matches in singles play. This was the fourth time this season that Mizzou has lost the doubles point. The Tigers are now 2-2 in those matches.
In singles play momentum took a noticeable shift in Mizzou's favor. Senior co-captain Cassidy Spearman (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) got the ball rolling, earning her 100th career victory in a dominant 6-4, 6-2 match at No. 3. It was Spearman's fourth dual singles win this season and put her at the 100-win plateau. She joins fellow senior co-captain Bea Machado Santos (Lisbon, Portugal) and junior Amina Ismail (Maineville, Ohio), giving Mizzou three different Tigers with 100 or more victories throughout their careers.
With the match tied at 1-1, freshman Tate Schroeder (Centennial, Colo.) refused to quit, winning 11 of the last 12 games to come from behind and win her match 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-1. That extends Schroeder's win streak in singles matches to five, her second five-match win streak of the season, and her overall record in singles matches this spring to a team-best 10-1. Schroeder's overall record this spring is now 16-3 and a perfect 2-0 in Southeastern Conference play.
Now with a 2-1 lead, Mizzou leaned on Santos and she delivered. In her second straight match against a ranked opponent, Santos jumped out to an early lead, taking the first set against No. 85 Rutuja Bhosale 6-3. After falling 7-5 in the second set, Santos was forced into a third and final set to decide the match. With the pressure on, Santos downed Bhosale, taking the third set 6-1 and giving Mizzou a 3-1 match lead.
After the Aggies took the next two matches to tie the score at 3-3, Middlebrooks stepped in and delivered another match-clinching victory at No. 6.
Mizzou won't have to wait long for its next chance at a conference win. The Tigers will face off against No. 29 LSU this Sunday at the Mizzou Tennis Complex. The match will start at 10 a.m. with free coffee available beforehand at the Mizzou Tennis Complex.
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 Rachel Pierson/Rutuja Bhosale (TAMU) def. Bea Machado Santos/Amina Ismail (MIZ), 6-2
No. 2 Domenica Gonzalez/Eva Paalma (TAMU) def. Brianna Lashway/Clare Raley (MIZ), 6-2
No. 3 Cassidy Spearman/Tate Schroeder (MIZ) vs. Macarena Olivares/Stefania Hristov (TAMU), 2-5
Singles:
No. 1 No. 44 Rachel Pierson (TAMU) def. Brianna Lashway (MIZ), 7-5, 5-7, 6-2
No. 2 Bea Machado Santos (MIZ) def. No. 85 Rutuja Bhosale (TAMU), 6-3, 5-7, 6-1
No. 3 Cassidy Spearman (MIZ) def. Saska Gavrilovska (TAMU), 6-4, 6-2
No. 4 Tate Schroeder (MIZ) def. Macarena Olivares (TAMU), 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-1
No. 5 Domenica Gonzalez (TAMU) def. Amina Ismail (MIZ), 6-1, 4-6, 6-1
No. 6 Mackenzy Middlebrooks (MIZ) vs. Eva Paalma (TAMU), 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-3
Players Mentioned
