SMU Women’s Tennis Downs UCF 5-2

ORLANDO, Fla. (SMU) – The No. 37 SMU Women’s Tennis team improved to 14-4 on Saturday with its solid 5-2 win over Conference USA foe UCF. The Mustangs dropped the doubles point, but used the strength of their singles lineup to rally for the conference win over the Knights.

Doubles play was tight as SMU claimed its only win at the top line. The junior duo of Marta Lesniak and Aleksandra Malyarchikova squeaked out a 9-8 (8-6) tie-breaking win over the UCF tandem of Genevieve Lorbergs and Courtney Griffith.

Heather Steinbauer and Edyta Cieplucha also played in a tie-breaker but lost 9-8 (7-1) to Jenny Frisell and Alexis Rodriguez at No. 2, while Shahzoda Hatamova and Kris Roberts fell to Andrea Yacaman and Taylor Dubins, 8-4, at No. 3.

Malyarchikova was first off the courts in singles to even the score at 1-1 when she made quick work of Lorgergs at No. 3, 6-0, 6-0.

Cieplucha and Lesnaik both finished moments later to bring SMU closer to the win.

Ranked No. 9 in the latest ITA singles rankings, Lesniak downed Frisell at No. 1, 6-1, 6-2, while Cieplucha won 6-2, 6-1 at No. 2 over Rodriguez.

After Roberts fell at No. 6, Hatamova clinched the win for the Mustangs with her easy 6-1, 6-1 win over Griffith at No. 5.

Steinbauer earned the fifth and final SMU victory when she took out Doerfler 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) at No. 4.

Head coach Lauren Longbotham Meisner ran her career record to 96-27 (.780) with the victory. The fifth-year head coach broke the program’s career wins record last weekend and is on pace to become the first women’s tennis coach to notch 100 career wins.

SMU returns to action on Sunday against Florida International while in the Sunshine State.

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