Spring Break
Women's tennis team drops conference opener to Texas
By: Michael Sullivan
Issue date: 3/6/09 Section: Sports
No. 24 Texas A&M opened Big 12 play in Austin on Saturday with a 5-2 loss to No. 38 Texas. The top of the Aggie lineup, Elze Potgieter and Morgan Frank, were the only Aggies to win a match against the Longhorns.
For the second match in a row, the Aggies dug themselves into a 1-0 hole by not winning the doubles point. In 2009, the Aggies have won the doubles point in six out of their nine matches played. After losing to TCU on Thursday, Head Coach Bobby Kleinecke expressed that coming out flat in the doubles was a factor in their loss against TCU. Kleinecke said that winning the doubles point would be the key to winning on the road against Texas.
The Aggies bottom three singles players consisted of three freshmen, Lauren Santacroce, Sheri Olivier, and Ashley Turpin. After falling behind in the doubles, the bottom three would put Aggies even farther behind as Olivier dropped her match 6-1; 6-0 followed by Santacroce who also lost, 6-2; 6-4.
Down 3-0, Potgieter would narrow the gap winning her third consecutive singles match 6-4; 6-1. Potgieter who started the season 2-5 at No. 1 singles has bounced back improving her 2009 record to 5-5.
The Longhorns would prove too much for the Aggies as Turpin would become the deciding match, losing 6-3; 6-2. Turpin was also the deciding match on Thursday, losing a marathon match against TCU 7-6, 6-7, 7-6.
Although the match was over, play continued for conference statistics with No. 98 Frank defeating her opponent 6-3; 6-2. Sophomore Christi Liles would be another Longhorn victim losing her match 6-1; 6-3 leaving the match count at 5-2.
After leading LSU 3-0 on February 8, Texas A&M would drop four consecutive matches to be upset by the Tigers 4-3. Similarly, after taking a 3-2 lead on Thursday night against TCU, the Horned Frogs would take the final two matches and upset the Aggies 4-3. After the LSU loss, the Aggies' first win came almost two and half weeks later against South Florida. If the Aggies don't bounce back from their loss against the Horned Frogs for two and a half weeks, they will be four matches into conference with an 0-4 record.
Texas A&M will return home to George P. Mitchell Tennis Center on March 12 looking to bounce back against Texas Tech. The Aggies and Raiders have one common opponent so far in 2009, TCU. The Raiders defeated the Horned Frogs 5-2 in Lubbock.
For the second match in a row, the Aggies dug themselves into a 1-0 hole by not winning the doubles point. In 2009, the Aggies have won the doubles point in six out of their nine matches played. After losing to TCU on Thursday, Head Coach Bobby Kleinecke expressed that coming out flat in the doubles was a factor in their loss against TCU. Kleinecke said that winning the doubles point would be the key to winning on the road against Texas.
The Aggies bottom three singles players consisted of three freshmen, Lauren Santacroce, Sheri Olivier, and Ashley Turpin. After falling behind in the doubles, the bottom three would put Aggies even farther behind as Olivier dropped her match 6-1; 6-0 followed by Santacroce who also lost, 6-2; 6-4.
Down 3-0, Potgieter would narrow the gap winning her third consecutive singles match 6-4; 6-1. Potgieter who started the season 2-5 at No. 1 singles has bounced back improving her 2009 record to 5-5.
The Longhorns would prove too much for the Aggies as Turpin would become the deciding match, losing 6-3; 6-2. Turpin was also the deciding match on Thursday, losing a marathon match against TCU 7-6, 6-7, 7-6.
Although the match was over, play continued for conference statistics with No. 98 Frank defeating her opponent 6-3; 6-2. Sophomore Christi Liles would be another Longhorn victim losing her match 6-1; 6-3 leaving the match count at 5-2.
After leading LSU 3-0 on February 8, Texas A&M would drop four consecutive matches to be upset by the Tigers 4-3. Similarly, after taking a 3-2 lead on Thursday night against TCU, the Horned Frogs would take the final two matches and upset the Aggies 4-3. After the LSU loss, the Aggies' first win came almost two and half weeks later against South Florida. If the Aggies don't bounce back from their loss against the Horned Frogs for two and a half weeks, they will be four matches into conference with an 0-4 record.
Texas A&M will return home to George P. Mitchell Tennis Center on March 12 looking to bounce back against Texas Tech. The Aggies and Raiders have one common opponent so far in 2009, TCU. The Raiders defeated the Horned Frogs 5-2 in Lubbock.
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