The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
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No. 17 USC defeats No. 22 Women's Tennis 6-1
02.13.2011 | Women's Tennis
Feb. 13, 2011
LOS ANGELES - No. 22 Texas picked up a doubles win over a top-15 opponent and a three-set win from senior Maggie Mello, but it was not enough Sunday afternoon, as No. 17 USC (6-1) dealt No. 22 Texas (2-3) a 6-1 defeat at USC's Marks Tennis Stadium.
The Longhorns picked up a key doubles win at the first slot, where senior Amanda Craddock and freshman Cierra Gaytan-Leach knocked off USC's 11th-ranked tandem of Valeria Pulido and Alison Ramos by an 8-6 count. However, the Trojans won the other two doubles positions to take the doubles point and assume a 1-0 lead.
USC would take five of the six singles matches en route to victory. The first slot featured a pair of ITA top-10 singles players, as USC's third-ranked Maria Sanchez defeated UT's eighth-ranked Aeriel Ellis by a 6-3, 7-5 count. The Trojans' 10th-ranked Danielle Lao went on to add a 6-3, 6-4 win over UT junior Krista Damico at second singles.
UT's Mello dropped the first set to USC's Ramos at third singles, 7-5, but Mello, a native southern Californian, returned to take the second set, 6-2 before outlasting Ramos in a third-set tiebreaker to put the Horns on the board. UT freshman Juliana Gajic rallied from one set down to force a third set against USC's Kaitlyn Christian at fourth singles, but Christian took the final set, 6-1 to preserve her victory.
Pulido defeated UT freshman Elizabeth Begley 6-0, 6-0, and USC's Cristala Andrews defeated UT's Gaytan-Leach 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 at sixth singles.
Texas resumes play on Friday, Feb. 25 when it hosts South Florida.
No. 17 USC 6, No. 22 Texas 1
Doubles - Order of Finish: 3, 1, 2
1 Craddock/Gaytan-Leach (UT) def. #11 Pulido/Ramos (USC) - 8-6
2 #80 Christian/Sanchez (USC) def. #87 Damico/Ellis (UT) - 8-5
3 Kinstler/Lao (USC) def. Gajic/Larsson (UT) - 8-2
Singles - Order of Finish: 5, 2, 1, 6, 4, 3
1 #3 Maria Sanchez (USC) def. #8 Aeriel Ellis (UT) - 6-3, 7-5
2 #10 Danielle Lao (USC) def. Krista Damico (UT) - 6-3, 6-4
3 Maggie Mello (UT) def. Alison Ramos (USC) - 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (2)
4 #114 Kaitlyn Christian (USC) def. Juliana Gajic (UT) - 6-3, 2-6, 6-1
5 Valeria Pulido (USC) def. Elizabeth Begley (UT) - 6-1, 6-0
6 Cristala Andrews (USC) def. Cierra Gaytan-Leach (UT) - 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
