Box Score

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The injury-depleted Kennesaw State women's tennis team dropped a deceivingly close match to the Memphis Tigers, 6-1, on Friday afternoon at the Racquet Club of Memphis. 

The Owls (0-2) got off to a strong start in doubles, but were unable to come away with the team point.  The team of Vera Shkundina and Iesha Holton were dominant at No. 2 doubles, winning 8-2.  The Black and Gold took an early 3-1 lead at No. 1 doubles, but Morgan Carney and Mackenzie Swindall were unable to keep the momentum, eventually falling by an 8-4 score.  The final blow came at No. 3 doubles, where the pairing of Ayano Tanaka and Therese Lagerkvist were defeated, 8-5.

In singles, several matches were nail-biters, but the Owls succumbed at positions two through four to fall behind by an insurmountable 4-0 deficit. 

“I’m pleased with how we played,” commented head coach Brandon Padgett, “I am very confident that this will carry over in a positive way for the team.  Missing Agatha (Palider) hurt us today, so I am looking forward to her return from injury next week.”

The remaining singles matches all went to three sets, with Vera Shkundina dropping an exhausting match to Ashley Murdock at No. 1 singles.  The match lasted more than three hours, and ultimately went to Murdock, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (5).

Carney and Swindall also stretched their matches to a third-set tiebreaker, with Carney dropping her match in a tiebreak, just before Swindall finally scored the Owls their first team point of the young season, pulling out her match 7-5, 6-7 (7), 1-0 (6).

The Jan. 30 match against Murray State was canceled due to weather in Murray, Kent. today.  The Owls return to the court next weekend when they travel to Dayton, Ohio to face off with the University of Dayton and Wright State.