Feb. 5, 2015
Schedule | Match Notes | Follow @MSUBearsTennis
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Following its first match of the 2015 spring season, the Missouri State women's tennis team heads to Columbia for back-to-back duals against the Missouri Tigers and the IUPUI Jaguars beginning at 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, at the Mizzou Tennis Complex.
The Bears are scheduled to take on the host Tigers at 5 p.m. Saturday, while MSU faces off with the Jaguars in a neutral-site dual at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 8 at the Mizzou Tennis Complex.
Last Weekend
The Bears opened the 2015 spring season at SIU Edwardsville Sunday, Feb. 1, with its first dual since the program was discontinued in 2006 as part of an Athletics restructuring initiative that saw the University decrease its total number of sports from 21 to 16.
Junior Miranda Poile earned her first singles victory as a Bear and sophomore Mackenzie Rozell forced a tiebreaker, but the Missouri State women's tennis team was defeated by the Cougars 5-2 at the Edwardsville YMCA.
MSU earned points at No. 4 and No. 6 singles. Poile won at No. 4 singles in straight sets and SIUE forfeited the match at No. 6 singles to make up the Bears' tally.
The Bears had several tough singles matches, with Rozell falling in a first-set tiebreaker 7-4 at No. 2 singles. Both Ekaterina Donetskova and Anelisse Torrico Moreno lost serve in 6-4 and 7-5 defeats in sets in their respective No. 3 and No. 5 singles matches. In No. 1 singles, Ema Turudija was swept in her first set against SIUE's Lexi Aranda, but competed in the second set to fall 6-3.
About Missouri
The Missouri Tigers are currently 4-2 following a split on Friday, Jan. 30, against No. 43 Wichita State and Creighton. The Tigers took on Wichita State on Friday morning and the Blue Jays that afternoon. Missouri lost 6-1 in the morning matchup with the Shockers, but bounced back with a 5-0 victory over the Blue Jays
Kelli Hine has a 4-2 record at No. 1 singles and Cassidy Spearman has a 4-1 overall singles record to lead the Southeastern Conference member contingent.
The Tigers will host IUPUI before MSU on Saturday morning at the Mizzou Tennis Complex. MSU head coach Mallory Weber graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2011, where she played collegiately for the Tigers. Weber was an Academic All-Big 12 First Team honoree three times and was nominated for Female Athlete of the Year as a senior during her time in Columbia.
About IUPUI
The IUPUI Jaguars head to Missouri to face the Tigers on Saturday before facing the Bears in a neutral-site match Sunday. The Jaguars are currently 1-2 this season after winning their first dual of the season over the University of Indianapolis on Sunday, Feb. 1. Previously, IUPUI has lost to Dayton 4-3 and the Missouri Valley Conference's Bradley Braves 7-0 this spring.
Samantha Mayer has an even 3-3 record to lead IUPUI in singles play, while Valeriia Lavrenchuk and Abbey Neff have multiple wins for the Jaguars through the 2014-15 season.
Poile Named Student Athlete of the Week
Miranda Poile was named the Missouri State Student Athlete of the Week following her performance at SIUE on Sunday, Feb. 1. Making her MSU debut at No. 4 singles, Poile defeated SIUE's Haley Ilcewicz in straight sets 6-4, 6-1. It was the first action for Poile at MSU after sitting out the fall schedule due to injury. She was the only Bear to earn a victory in the dual against SIUE. The Australian native also competed at No. 2 doubles with Ekaterina Donetskova. In the first match for the tandem, the pair lost to the Cougars' Lexi Aranda and Sierra Halvorsen, 6-2.
How the Matches Will be Scored
No-ad scoring will be used in both singles and doubles and three doubles matches will be played to begin the dual. Each match is one set to six, with a tie-break at six-all. The first team to earn two doubles wins earns one team point. Doubles play will be followed by six singles matches (best two of three sets -- tie-breaks at six-all). Each singles match is worth one team point.
Follow the Bears
Check out all the latest news and information on Bears tennis at MissouriStateBears.com and follow @MSUBearsTennis for updates throughout the season.
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