April 10, 2007
Box Score
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The Owls were in every match on Tuesday afternoon, but fell to UT Chattanooga, 6-1, at the UTC Tennis Complex in their final non-conference match of the season.
"This was a very close match despite what the score might indicate," said Kennesaw State head coach Brandon Padgett. "We played well from top to bottom and played hard. The match could have gone, 4-3, either way."
Kennesaw State (4-17) started off strong and took a doubles match before narrowly losing the doubles point. East Tennessee State (7-15) won at the No. 1 and No. 2 positions before the Owls took the No. 3 slot as Lindsey Whalen and Jeni Thomas blanked Kate Ksiezopolski and Celeste Nicholson.
In singles play, Caroline Page came up with the Owls lone victory of the day, winning her No. 5 singles match against Ksiezopolski, 6-3, 6-2. At No. 1 singles, Mercedes Cobos lost a deceptively competitive match against the nation's No. 39-ranked player Anastasia Zhukova. The Lady Mocs top player defeated Cobos, 6-0, 6-0, but the Owls No. 1 player won at least two points in every game, even though playing with an injured leg.
"Mercedes played with heart and effort," complimented Padgett. "She was in every single game despite playing hurt. I was proud of her effort."
Giselle Nakakura played well at No. 2 singles before falling in straight sets. Nakakura dropped the first set, 6-2 and was ahead 3-0 in the second set before dropping the final six games to Lindsey Ballard.
In the two most competitive matches of the day, Karen Ammann and Whalen lost in third-set tiebreakers. At No. 3 singles, Ammann dropped the first set to Beata Knizat, 7-5, before rallying back to win the second set, 6-4 to force the tiebreaker. Whalen dropped the first set to Nicholson, 6-3, before fighting back to win the second set, 7-6. In the tiebreaker, Whalen went point-for-point with Nicholson and for the first seven points before falling.
At No. 4 singles, Thomas got off to a slow start as she fell behind 3-0. However, Thomas regrouped and played well before dropping a 6-2, 6-2 decision.
"It was great to see the way the girls fought," added Padgett. "After a little bit of a layoff we came out ready to go and came very close to winning the doubles point."
Kennesaw State will conclude the regular season on Wednesday afternoon when travel to Johnson City, Tenn. to play the Buccaneers of East Tennessee State.
UT-Chattanooga 6, Kennesaw State 1
Doubles
No. 1 Ballard/Zhukova (UTC) def. Cobos/Nakakura (KSU), 8-3
No. 2 Adams/Knizat (UTC) def. Ammann/Page (KSU), 8-5
No. 3 Thomas/Whalen (KSU) def. Ksiezopolski/Nicholson (UTC), 8-0
Singles
No. 1 #39 Anastasia Zhukova (UTC) def. Mercedes Cobos (KSU), 6-0, 6-0
No. 2 Lindsey Ballard (UTC) def. Giselle Nakakura (KSU), 6-2, 6-3
No. 3 Beata Knizat (UTC) def. Karen Ammann (KSU), 7-5, 4-6, 1-0
No. 4 Bonnie Adams (UTC) def. Jeni Thomas (KSU), 6-2, 6-2
No. 5 Caroline Page (KSU) def. Kate Ksiezopolski (UTC), 6-3, 6-2
No. 6 Celeste Nicholson (UTC) def. Lindsey Whalen (KSU), 6-3, 6-7, 1-0
