The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Baylor
No. 23 Women's Tennis falls to No. 9 Baylor, 5-2
04.03.2011 | Women's Tennis
April 3, 2011
WACO, Texas - No. 23 Texas (10-6, 5-2 Big 12) took two of three doubles matches and added a singles win from freshman Cierra Gaytan-Leach, but No. 9 Baylor (15-3, 5-1 Big 12) claimed a 5-2 win over the Longhorns Sunday afternoon at the Baylor Tennis Center.
Texas came out aggressively in the doubles session and claimed the doubles point from the Bears by winning matches at the second and third positions. Freshman Juliana Gajic and senior Maggie Mello opened with an 8-5 win over the Bears' Taylor Ormond and Karolina Filipiak at third doubles. Texas clinched the doubles point at the second position, where junior Krista Damico and sophomore Aeriel Ellis posted an 8-5 win over the Bears' Jelena Stanivuk and Diana Nakic. Baylor claimed the remaining match at first doubles.
The Bears would take control of the match in the singles session before closing out four straight wins to clinch the match. Baylor's Novakova defeated UT's Ellis by a 6-3, 6-4 count at first singles, and Stanivuk defeated UT's Amanda Craddock by a 6-2, 7-5 count at fourth singles. BU's Nina Secerbegovic dealt UT's Damico a 6-0, 6-3 defeat at second singles, and the Bears clinched the victory at third singles when Nakic closed out a 6-4, 7-5 win over UT's Mello.
Gaytan-Leach posted the second and final point for the Horns at sixth singles, where she held off Baylor's Ormond, 7-6 (3), 6-3. The Bears closed out the match with a win at fifth singles, as Filipiak rallied for a 1-6, 6-0, 6-3 win over UT's Gajic.
Texas resumes Big 12 Conference play on Friday, April 8 when it hosts Oklahoma State at 1:30 p.m. Central.
POST-MATCH COMMENTS
Texas head coach Patty Fendick-McCain
"Cierra (Gaytan-Leach) has worked very hard to get a shot at getting into the singles lineup. She executed our game plan perfectly. Everyone fought so hard today. Our doubles was very good today."
No. 9 Baylor 5, No. 23 Texas 2
Doubles - Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1
1 #35 Nina Secerbegovic/Sona Novakova (BU) def. Amanda Craddock/Cierra Gaytan-Leach (UT) - 8-7 (4)
2 Krista Damico/Aeriel Ellis (UT) def. Jelena Stanivuk/Diana Nakic (BU) - 8-5
3 Juliana Gajic/Maggie Mello (UT) def. Taylor Ormond/Karolina Filipiak (BU) - 8-5
Singles - Order of Finish: 1, 4, 2, 3, 6, 5
1 #14 Sona Novakova (BU) def. #21 Aeriel Ellis (UT) - 6-3, 6-4
2 #36 Nina Secerbegovic (BU) def. Krista Damico (UT) - 6-0, 6-3
3 #38 Diana Nakic (BU) def. Maggie Mello (UT) - 6-4, 7-5
4 #103 Jelena Stanivuk (BU) def. Amanda Craddock (UT) - 6-2, 7-5
5 #124 Karolina Filipiak (BU) def. Juliana Gajic (UT) - 1-6, 6-0, 6-3
6 Cierra Gaytan-Leach (UT) def. Taylor Ormond (BU) - 7-6 (3), 6-3
