SMU W-Tennis Wins On Senior Day
Dallas (SMU) – The SMU women’s tennis team earned a win on its final day of the regular season as they defeated the UTEP Miners 6-1 at the SMU Tennis Complex on Senior Day.
Seniors Vaszilisza Bulgakova, Hristina Dishkova, Yana Erkeeva were honored prior to the match for playing in their final match at SMU. All three women went out with victories playing from the top three spots in the lineup.
Dishkova (No. 1) clinched the match win by defeating UTEP’s Vivienne Kulicke 7-5, 6-2 to earn her 80th career singles win at SMU, giving her sole possession of seventh in program history in singles wins. Bulgakova (No. 2) and Erkeeva (No. 3) each pulled out three set victories after the team match was clinched as Bulgakova defeated Duda Santos 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 and Erkeeva topped Lois Wagenvoort 6-4, 3-6, 10-7.
“If I could do it all again, I would,” Bulgakova said. “Coming from Europe and adapting to a different culture has been a challenge but winning my last match here was one of the best feelings.”
“It’s been a ride with so many ups and downs since
I’ve been here,” Dishkova said. “Like Lisa said, if I had the choice to do it again I would because I loved competing with my team.”
“It was hard for me when I first got here but it became easier towards the end,” Erkeeva said. “I learned a lot about being on a team and I’m going to miss my team.”
Dasha Sharapova (No. 4) and Ana Perez-Lopez (No.5) earned the first two singles wins for the Mustangs giving them a 3-0 lead. Sharapova won 6-4, 6-1 over Daphne Visscher and Perez-Lopez won 6-3, 6-1 over Matilda Tench.
Perez-Lopez also earned a doubles win with Macie Elliott from the No. 3 position 6-2 over Raven Bennett and Maria Medina to clinch the doubles point after Bulgakova and Dishkova won 6-1 over Kulicke and Santos.
The season will continue for the Mustangs as they will prepare for the American Athletic Conference Championship in Memphis, Tennessee on April 20.
