BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - UCA tennis continues to show improvements in the early part of the season, as they overcame an initial deficit in their victory against Samford University.
The Bears made their mark on the season as they bested the Bulldogs 4-3. This marks a key victory for UCA, as they dropped a round-robin result to Samford earlier in the year (7-2). To overcome a huge deficit like that shows amazing progress, and that progress would not exist without dominant singles play.
The Bears dropped the initial doubles point, putting them in a hole they usually are not in. However, facing that deficit sparked UCA, and they overcame that first bad taste they got against the Bulldogs. The Bears posted big winners at position No. 2 through No. 5, which was all they needed. Junior Fuka Nonoyama and sophomore Jaeun Lee were two of the first to light that flame as they quickly passed through their counterparts. Nonoyama won 6-2, 6-4, and Lee followed with a flipped score at 6-4, 6-2. Not to be outdone, freshman Sumomo Hamanaga got in on the action on the match clinching point with her two-set match at 7-5, 6-4. Finally, senior Yada Vasupongchai came in clutch with a come-from-behind victory. After dropping the first set 6-2, she rallied to win the next one 6-3 and, finally battling hard, claimed the final set 7-5.
Doubles:
Xin/Nonoyama vs. Rensburg/Lopez 6-2
Vasupongchai/Ishimura vs. Zaprianov/Nanere 6-1
Lee/Gledic vs. Song/Jablonski 6-3
Singles:
Xin vs. Rensburg 7-6, 6-2
Nonoyama vs. Zaprianov 6-2, 6-4
Lee vs. Nanere 6-4, 6-2
Vasupongchai vs. Lopez 2-6, 6-3, 7-5
Hamanaga vs. Hayduk 7-5, 6-4
Gledic vs. Song 6-1, 7-6
Quote from head coach Casey Wharton:
"Last week we did not get to practice as much as we wanted, just because of the weather. We were excited to play this weekend and we also knew going into the first match, that we hadn't hit as much, so our timing might be off, and when we played our first match, we were focused, we were excited, but our timing was not as good as it normally is. Today, just because we had so much time hitting yesterday; I thought our timing was better today. We had the same energy and focus, but we had more time on the court and I thought our timing was better. To go on the road and get one win and one loss after having a not great week of weather, I thought was a successful weekend."
Up next, the Bears head to Columbia in two weekends, where they will face two familiar Missouri foes in Southeast Missouri State and Mizzou. The first match will be against SEMO at 9 a.m., followed by MU at 2 p.m. both of these matches will take place Saturday, Feb. 19, at the Mizzou Tennis Complex.
