DES MOINES, Iowa -- The University of North Dakota women's tennis team dropped a 4-3 decision to Illinois State on Friday to open up the championship portion of the 2021-22 season in Des Moines, Iowa.
UND (0-1) rallied from dropping the doubles point to pick up a trio of singles wins, but could not complete the comeback against a tough Redbirds (1-0) squad.
It's always tough to lose, especially in matches like this that could go either way right down to the last few minutes of the match," said UND head coach
Tom Boysen. "Illinois State did a really nice job at the end of some close sets, so credit to them for finishing well."
In doubles action, ISU posted wins on the No. 1 and No. 3 courts to take a 1-0 lead after two-person play. The pairing of
Allie Ochotorena and
Lucia Rizza notched their first win as a pairing, picking up a 6-4 victory at the second position.
It was the youngsters who provided the points in singles action, with sophomore
Sapir Sela and freshmen
Nore Heinitz and Rizza each notching wins. Rizza rolled to her first singles victory as a Fighting Hawk by a 6-2, 6-4 score while Sela showed why she is one of the top players in the Summit League with a 6-4, 7-5 triumph at the top spot.
"At No. 1 singles, Sapir showed again that she is a force to be reckoned with by beating a high-quality opponent in straight sets," said Boysen. "Against a good team like Illinois State, I was definitely pleased with our team's grit, energy, fight and mentality. I think this bodes well for the immediate and future success of our program. That being said, the standards are high for UND tennis, and we expect to beat good teams."
On the No. 4 court, Heinitz brought the score even at three with a rallying, three-set victory. After dropping the first set, 6-2, the rookie bounced back with a 7-5 win in the middle stanza to push the match to a tiebreaker. There, the Duluth, Minn., native flexed her muscle with a 6-1 triumph.
"Great job by our two freshmen, Lucia and Nore, to win their first college matches today," said Boysen. "I thought they handled the big moments and the ups and downs of a dual match extremely well."
With the match deadlocked at 3-3, Ochotorena fell in a tight, three-set battle to give Illinois State the 4-3 win.
"We are eager and excited to have the opportunity to play two more matches on this trip," stressed Boysen.
North Dakota returns to action on Saturday afternoon against Iowa State at 4 p.m.
FINAL RESULTS: Illinois State (4), North Dakota (3)
Singles:
1. Sapir Sela (UND) def. Tijana Zlatanovic (ILS) 6-4, 7-5
2. Alexandra Abyasova (ILS) def. Andrea Jansson (UND) 6-3, 6-4
3. Maria Potsi (ILS) def. Allie Ochotorena (UND) 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2
4. Nore Heinitz (UND) def. Tara Damnjanovic (ILS) 2-6, 7-5, 6-1
5. Lucia Rizza (UND) def. Elena Jankulovska (ILS) 6-2, 6-4
6. Penelope Abreu (ILS) def. Angela Georgieva (UND) 6-3, 6-3
Doubles:
1. Tijana Zlatanovic/Tara Damnjanovic (ILS) def. Sapir Sela/Andrea Jansson (UND) 6-2
2. Lucia Rizza/Allie Ochotorena (UND) def. Maria Potsi/Penelope Abreu (ILS) 6-4
3. Alexandra Abyasova/Laura Fitzgerald (ILS) def. Nore Heinitz/Charlotte Bowles (UND) 6-2
