Spartans Fall to No. 46 Long Beach State, 6-1
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG women's tennis program lost 6-1 when hosting nationally ranked Long Beach State (No. 46) Friday, Feb. 22 at the Piedmont Indoor Tennis Center.
"This team is not any better than us tennis-wise, they compete really well," said head coach Jeff Trivette. "They've had some ranked wins, they're very confident, and that's the next step for us. If we can figure out how to maintain from first ball struck in doubles to last ball struck in singles, then we could be a good team. I think we're a good team, but I think we could be a great team if we can learn how to compete every single point."
The Spartans dropped two of three doubles matches against Long Beach State giving the 49ers the doubles point.
At No. 3, sophomore Stephanie Falcon (Marietta, Ga. / Walton) and Dilara Yurtkuran (Istanbul, Turkey / Gunes Koleji) picked up the lone doubles win for UNCG. Long Beach State had a 6-5 lead until the Blue and Gold forced a tiebreaker at 7-7. Falcon and Yurtkuran eventually took the match, 8-7 (7-3).
In singles play, senior Niltooli Wilkins (Burnsville, Minn. / Homeschooled) earned the lone singles win for the Spartans against Malenovska 7-5, 6-3.
Yurtkuran fought hard against Unden, but fell in a tough three sets, 7-6 (7-3), 2-6, 10-5, while senior Alex Whitehead (Victoria, Australia / Star of the Sea College) lost 6-1, 6-2 to Cantlay.
Sophomore Kayla Gammie (Port St. Lucie, Fla. / Broward Virtual School) dropped her match against Rozenberg, 6-3, 6-1, while freshman Soumeya Anane (Coventry, Great Britain / Tile Hill Wood School) lost, 6-3, 6-3 to Willems.
UNCG (2-3) returns to action, Sunday, Feb. 24 to host its first SoCon competition of the season against Western Carolina at the UNCG tennis courts at 12 p.m.
AGATE
No. 46 Long Beach State 6, UNCG 1
Doubles
1. Malenovska/Cantlay (LBSU) def. Wilkins/Whitehead (UNCG), 8-3
2. Unden/Rozenbergdef. Rios/Gammie (UNCG), 8-2
3. Willems/Onaga (LBSU) def. Falcon/Yurtkuran (UNCG), 8-7 (7-3)
Singles
1. Niltooli Wilkins (UNCG) defeated Malenovska (LBSU) 7-5, 6-3
2. Unden (LBSU) def. Dilara Yurtkuran (UNCG), 7-6 (7-3), 2-6, 10-5
3. Cantlay (LBSU) def. Alex Whitehead (UNCG), 6-1, 6-2
4. Annette Rios (UNCG) vs. Rodriguez (LBSU), 6-2, retired
5. Rozenberg (LBSU) def. Kayla Gammie (UNCG), 6-3, 6-1
6. Willems (LBSU) def. Soumeya Anane (UNCG), 6-3, 6-3
- UNCG -