Alabama Women's Tennis Falls to Harvard
1/31/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama women’s tennis team dropped their first match of the spring today, losing to No. 12 (ITA) Harvard 6-1 in Boston, Mass.
Freshman Mari Muller won her first collegiate match with a three set victory over Harvard’s Preethi Mukundan. Muller, playing No. 5 singles, won 7-6, 4-6, 6-2.
“I am very proud of Mari,” said Alabama Head Coach Jenny Mainz. “She competed well and played tough.”
Alabama’s No. 1 doubles team of Robin Stephenson and Ashley Bentley took their match down to the wire, losing 7-9 to the team of Eva Wang and Alexis Martire. Stephenson also forced three sets in her No. 1 singles match against the Crimson’s Susanna Lingman. Stephenson won the first set 6-4 before losing the last two sets 4-6, 3-6.
“It was a good test for us,” Mainz said. “I knew it would be tough. Harvard is strong all the way through their lineup. There are a couple of areas we need to improve in, but we competed hard and played well.”
The Crimson Tide will face No. 22 Miami in Coral Gables, Fla. on Feb. 8. The next home match for Alabama will be on Feb. 15, when the Tide faces No. 54 Florida State.
Complete Match Results Follow:
Harvard 6, Alabama 1
Doubles
1. Eva Wang/Alexis Martire (HU) d. Robin Stephenson/Ashley Bentley (UA), 9-7
2. Ashley Hyotte/Melissa Anderson (HU) d. Nathalie Koppelle/Melissa Minor (UA), 8-3
3. Susanna Lingman/Preethi Mukundan (HU) d. Natalie McElveen/Mari Muller (UA), 8-3
Singles:
1. Lingman (HU) d. Stephenson (UA), 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
2. Martire (HU) d. Kopelle (UA), 6-0, 7-5
3. Wang (HU) d. Bentley (UA), 6-2, 6-2
4. Anderson (HU) d. Minor (UA) 6-2, 6-2
5. Muller (UA) d. Mukundan (HU), 7-6, 4-6, 6-2
6. Chu (HU) d. McElveen (UA) Default
