No. 36 SMU Women’s Tennis Scores 5-2 Win Over No. 61 TCU
DALLAS, Texas (SMU) – The No. 36 SMU Women’s Tennis team used solid play throughout the lineup to dispatch of cross-town rival No. 61 TCU, 5-2, on Tuesday afternoon. The Mustangs have now won four consecutive matches and seven of their last eight contests to run their overall record to 16-4.
”I was really pleased with the effort today,” said head coach Lauren Longbotham Meisner. “The team was really tired after getting back so late from Florida and that made for a quick turnaround, but I thought they responded really well. It is always good to beat TCU and have some local bragging rights too. Now we need to rest up and get ready to face two quality C-USA opponents this weekend.”
Doubles play saw the Mustangs claim the early lead by taking victories at the top two spots.
Marta Lesniak and Aleksandra Malyarchikova were able to grab a victory over Katarina Tuohimaa and Federica Denti at No. 1 after Denti suffered a lower leg injury and had to retire from the match.
Edyta Cieplucha and Heather Steinbauer clinched the point for SMU shortly after when they cruised to an 8-2 win at No. 2 against Olivia Smith and Gaby Mastromarino.
As play shifted to singles, freshman Kris Roberts snagged the first Mustang win, just her second on the spring. The native of Jackson, Miss. defeated Molly Welset in impressive fashion at No. 6, 6-1, 6-1.
Malyarchikova and Cieplucha were the next to finish, which
clinched the victory for SMU.
Cieplucha took out Mastromarino at No. 2, 6-4, 6-1 for her 14th victory this spring, while Malyarchikova claimed a 6-2, 6-3 win at No. 4 over Iden Hertzber. The win was Malyarchikova’s 16th this spring against just one loss.
The fifth Mustang point came at No. 1 singles when Lesniak outlasted Touhimaa 6-1, 7-6 (7-3). The nation’s No. 9 singles player has now won 13 consecutive matches and 17 total this spring. Her 35 overall wins this season put her in sole possession of third place on the program’s all-time single season wins list.
The native of Poland is also just one win away from moving into fifth place on the all-time career wins list. She currently has 78 career wins in her three-year stint on the Hilltop.
TCU claimed its singles victories at singles lines No. 3 and 5.
Tuesday’s win also improved Meisner’s career coaching record to 98-27 (.784). The fifth-year head coach broke the program’s career wins record with her 95th win eariler this season, and with two victories this weekend, will then become the first women’s tennis coach to notch 100 career wins.
SMU returns to courts this Saturday when it travels to Houston to battle C-USA foe No. 62 Rice. The match with the Owls is slated to begin at 1:30 p.m. The Mustangs will then remain in Houston and play both Houston and Lee College on Sunday. The match will the Cougars will begin the day at 9:30 a.m. followed by the match with Lee.
