The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Pepperdine
Women's Tennis tops Pepperdine, 5-2
02.21.2010 | Women's Tennis
Feb. 21, 2010
AUSTIN, Texas -- No. 30 Texas (2-4) dropped the doubles point but collected five singles wins in a 5-2 victory over No. 35 Pepperdine (3-5) Sunday afternoon at UT's Penick-Allison Tennis Center.
Texas opened the doubles session with a win at the third slot, where senior Sarah Lancaster and junior Caroline Larsson notched an 8-5 win over the Waves' Arianna Colffer and Tania Rice. But, the Waves claimed the remaining two matches at first and second doubles to secure the doubles point and take a 1-0 lead.
Texas' Lancaster evened the match at one with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Pepperdine's Rice at sixth singles. UT's Larsson gave the Horns a 2-1 lead at fifth singles with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Marie Zalameda before Pepperdine rallied to even the match, as the Waves' Andrea Oates posted a 6-4, 6-3 win over Amanda Craddock at fourth singles.
The Longhorns put the match away on the strength of victories at the first, third and second singles slots. UT freshman Aeriel Ellis outlasted the Waves' Colffer at first singles by a 6-3, 7-5 count to give the Horns a 3-2 lead. The match at third singles pitted UT's Krista Damico against Pepperdine's Anamika Bhargava. Damico took the first set, 6-2, but Bhargava rallied to take the second, 7-5.
Damico and Bhargava held serve in the first four games in set three, but Damico broke Bhargava's serve in game five to assume a 3-2 lead. Damico held for a 4-2 lead and broke once more for a 5-2 lead. Damico yielded her serve in the next service game but broke Bhargava one more time to take the set, 6-3 and clinch the victory for Texas.
The match at second singles featured Texas' Vanja Corovic against Pepperdine's 98th-ranked Ali Walters. Corovic took the first set, 6-4 before Walters assumed a 5-2 lead in the second set. Corovic took the next four games to take a 6-5 lead, but Walters won the next game to force a tiebreaker, which she claimed, 7-3.
Corovic broke Walters for a 3-2 lead in set three before holding serve and breaking again for a 5-2 lead. Walters broke and held to draw within 5-4, but Corovic held on for a 6-4 third-set win to nail down the Horns' fifth singles victory on the afternoon.
"Our ladies really rose to the occasion," UT head coach Patty Fendick-McCain said. "I was really pleased with how they fought back against Pepperdine, who is a strong team with a lot of really good players. They stepped up and fought through, and it was great to get the win."
Texas resumes play on Saturday, Feb. 27 when it takes on Fresno State in Tempe, Ariz.
#30 Texas 5, #35 Pepperdine 2
Doubles - Order of Finish: 3, 1, 2
1 Bhargava/Zalameda (PEP) def. Craddock/Damico (UT) - 9-7
2 Oates/Walters (PEP) def. Corovic/Ellis (UT) - 8-6
3 Lancaster/Larsson (UT) def. Colffer/Rice (PEP) - 8-5
Singles - Order of Finish: 6, 5, 4, 1, 3, 2
1 #17 Aeriel Ellis (UT) def. Arianna Colffer (PEP) - 6-3, 7-5
2 #71 Vanja Corovic (UT) def. #98 Ali Walters (PEP) - 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-4
3 #50 Krista Damico (UT) def. Anamika Bhargava (PEP) - 6-2, 5-7, 6-3
4 Andrea Oates (PEP) def. Amanda Craddock (UT) - 6-4, 6-3
5 Caroline Larsson (UT) def. Marie Zalameda (PEP) - 6-3, 6-2
6 Sarah Lancaster (UT) def. Tania Rice (PEP) - 6-1, 6-2
