Fresno State Athletics
`Dogs Fall Short on Day One
1/27/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Jan. 27, 2012
By Kate Whitney
katewhitney23@gmail.com
GoBulldogs.com
ATHENS, Ga - The Fresno State women's tennis team suffered a 4-2 loss against Florida International in the first round of the ITA Kickoff Weekend at Georgia's Lindsey Hopkins Indoor Courts this morning.
"We just couldn't capitalize on our opponent today," head coach Simon Thibodeau said. "It is still early in the season and I am glad to see our team learning as we compete."
The competition started out this morning with doubles play.
The Bulldogs had a promising start when the No. 2 doubles team of Marianne Jodoin and Tanya Murtagh bested FIU duo, Karyn Guttormsen and Giulietta Boha, 8-1. In a close match on court number three, Aishwarya Agrawal and Melissa McQueen fell to Lisa Johnson and Christine Seredni, 8-6, leaving the deciding match to No. 1 doubles team Laura Pola and Olga Kirpicheva. However, Rita Maisak and partner Sarah McLean pulled out the win for the Golden Panthers, 8-4.
The back-and-forth battle continued during singles play when Pola fell to Johnson, 6-2, 6-3, at No. 2 singles. McQueen answered back for the `Dogs beating Boha, 6-4, 6-4 at No. 4. The Bulldogs' 49th ranked Jodoin rallied for the team on court number one as she defeated McLean, 6-3, 6-4.
Kirpicheva fought hard against Maisak at No. 3 singles, but was unable to earn the win, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, which left match to the shoulder of junior Bianca Modoc and Agrawal. In a three-set match on court six, Modoc fell to Guttormsen, 6-0, 2-6, 6-1, which clinched the match for FIU.
"In the end it was one or two points that made all of the difference for the match up," Thibodeau said.
At No. 5 singles, Agrawal had split two sets with Seredni, 6-3, 3-6, but was unable to finish.
"We Are Your Team"--To follow the Fresno State women's tennis team during ITA Kickoff Weekend log on to gobulldogs.com.
