Box Score

KENNESAW, Ga. – Senior leadership is a phrase that is thrown around quite often in collegiate athletics, but every team has that one moment in a season where it is in a tight match and it looks toward that senior to step up and do something great.

That happened for the Kennesaw State women’s tennis team on Monday night as senior Agatha Palider won her match at the No. 4 singles spot to break a 3-3 tie, and give the Owls a huge non-conference victory over Austin Peay, 4-3.

Palider won the first set 6-3, but dropped a tight second set by a score of 4-6. With the match hanging in the balance the senior thrived under the pressure dominating the third set, 6-0, to give the Black and Gold the win. The victory was also Palider’s 49th singles win of her career.

"Agatha played great tonight, and for her to seal the win for us with her family in attendance I couldn't be happier for her," head coach Jeffery Kutac said.

Even though the win was in non-conference play it was significant on several levels. First, it now moves Kennesaw State to 12-2, 2-0 A-Sun on the season, and the 12 wins already matches the Owls win total from all of last season. Also, Austin Peay was the defending Ohio Valley Conference Champions, and it was the preseason pick to win the conference again this season.

"Tonight's win was a total team effort, and I liked the way we competed," coach Kutac said. "This was the first time this season  that we lost the doubles point, but we still won the match. To improve as a program we have to get that done, and we did tonight." 

The Black and Gold also got singles victories from sophomore Therese Lagerkvist at the No. 5 spot 6-3, 6-4, and freshman Alexandra Apostu at the No. 3 position 6-1, 6-3. Both players have won three singles matches in a row, and between the two they boast a combined singles record of 23-2.

Junior Morgan Carney picked up the other point for the Owls as she won by default.

Kennesaw State will return home to begin preparations for its 2011 A-Sun home opener as they host Florida Gulf Coast on Friday, Mar. 11. The match is scheduled to be played at the BridgeMill Tennis Club at 11 a.m.