Box Score
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Southeastern Louisiana sophomore
Morgane Dadot picked up her team-high 15th singles victory of the spring, but defending Southland Conference Tournament champion and second-seeded UT Arlington eliminated the seventh-seeded Lady Lions, 4-1, in the first round of the league tournament Friday morning at the HEB Tennis Center.
The Lady Lions end their season with an 8-14 overall record. UT Arlington (11-6) advances to Saturday's semifinals to face the winner of Friday morning's other first round match between Texas State and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Southeastern head coach
Jason Hayes was pleased with how his team competed against the talented Lady Mavs.
“We had some chances, but we're not upset,” Hayes commented. “We knew playing UTA that we had to play our best tennis. I was really pleased with how we fought not only today but all year.”
UT Arlington jumped out to a 1-0 lead in doubles play. Sophomores Maria Martinez-Romero and Nikola Matovicova opened with an 8-2 win over Lady Lion sophomores
Mia Hagiu and
Annika Hanke at No. 3. At No. 1, the Southeastern duo of sophomore
Audrey Chelini and
Camille Pilon were outscored by UTA senior Klara Jagasova and junior Daiana Negreanu, 8-1, to clinch the doubles point for UTA.
Dadot quickly evened the match with a dominant effort at No. 2. The Reunion, France native rolled to a 6-0, 6-0 win over sophomore Katarina Micochova to finish the spring with an impressive 15-6 record in singles play.
UTA reclaimed the lead with a win at No. 4. Second team All-Southland choice Martinez-Romero was too much for Lady Lion freshman
Nina Schmied in a 6-0, 6-2 victory.
The Lady Mavs' other All-Southland singles selection pushed the lead at No. 5. Negreanu, a first team all-conference pick, handed Southeastern freshman
Isabel Brito a 6-1, 6-2 defeat.
UT Arlington clinched the match with a win at No. 6. Hanke battled hard but fell to Matovicova, 6-4, 6-4.
Southeastern was playing well in the two unfinished matches. At No. 1, Chelini was a point away from a straight set win over junior Monika Hadvigerova, leading 6-4, 5-4. Though trailing at No. 3, Pilon was battling hard with Jagosova and was down 6-4, 4-2, when the match was clinched for UTA.
“I knew we were going to fight today,” Hayes stated. “If the match would have continued, we had match point at No. 1 and we were playing well at No. 3. We had a chance to play UTA to 4-3 if we would've been able to play the match out. Overall, I was really happy with our effort today.”
The tournament experience was vital for a young, improving Southeastern roster that included four freshman and four sophomores. With top singles players Dadot and Chelini returning for 2011, the program's steady progress is expected to continue.
