March 17, 2009
Final Stats
KENNESAW, Ga. - Saint Patrick's Day didn't prove too lucky for the Kennesaw State women's tennis team as the Owls dropped a heartbreaking 4-3 decision to the Murray State Racers at the KSU Tennis Complex on Tuesday afternoon.
The top and bottom of the Owls (5-6, 1-0) singles lineup continued to lead the team, keeping the Black and Gold in the match until the very end with straight-set wins at No.'s 1, 5, and 6.
Murray State (7-4) claimed the early lead, winning all three doubles matches to go up 1-0. Vera Shkundina and Ayano Tanaka had their four-match winning streak broken after Angela McGahee and Anne Pennington defeated them 8-3 at No.1.
Agatha Palider pulled the Owls even at 1-1 after recording her third-straight win with a 6-2, 6-4 decision over Lynsey Bochenek at No. 5. The win moved Palider's singles record to an impressive 7-1, with all seven wins coming in straight-sets.
The Racers retook the lead shortly after when Alexis Webb defeated Morgan Carney 6-3, 6-3 at No. 4. Shkundina evened the match once again after earning her third-straight win at No. 1. The 16-year-old Russian pushed her singles record to 9-2 on the season with a 6-1, 6-3 straight-set dismantling of Murray State's top player.
Cassidy Cunitz swung the advantage back into the Racers court after winning 6-2, 6-4 over Mercedes Cobos at No. 3. Realizing her team was up against the wall, freshman MacKenzie Swindall clamped down to close out a 6-4, 6-4 win over Adriana Alvarez at No. 6 to put the match decision in the hands of Tanaka and McGahee at No.2. The win was Swindall's fifth-straight and moved her singles record to 6-2 on the season.
By the time the action became focused on their court, Tanaka and McGahee had exchanged sets and stood tied at 1-1. Tanaka claimed the early lead, jumping out 2-1 before McGahee came storming back. The Racers' No. 2 won five straight before Tanaka earned a break to move the score to 5-3. The more veteran McGahee responded with a break of her own to win the deciding set 6-3 and give Murray State the 4-3 win.
The Owls will return to Atlantic Sun Conference action this weekend when they travel to Jacksonville, Fla. for a March 20th match with North Florida and a March 21st showdown with Jacksonville. Friday's action is scheduled to get underway at 2 p.m. while Saturday's match is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.
Murray State 4, KSU 3
Doubles Results
#1 McGahee/Pennington def. Shkundina/Tanaka (KSU) 8-3
#2 Alvarez/Lyndsay Ottosen def. Cobos/Carney (KSU) 8-6
#3 Bochenek/Katelyn Fulcher def. Swindall/Palider (KSU) 8-6
Order: 1, 3, 2
Singles Results
#1 Vera Shkundina (KSU) def. Anne Pennington 6-1, 6-3
#2 Angela McGahee def. Ayano Tanaka (KSU) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
#3 Cassidy Cunitz def. Mercedes Cobos (KSU) 6-2, 6-4
#4 Alexis Webb def. Morgan Carney (KSU) 6-3, 6-3
#5 Agatha Palider (KSU) def. Lynsey Bochenek 6-2, 6-4
#6 MacKenzie Swindall (KSU) def. Adriana Alvarez 6-4, 6-4
Order: 5, 4, 1, 3, 6, 2
