No. 7 Aggie women’s tennis rallied against No. 45 Florida International in Orlando, Fla., on Friday, Feb. 24, to kick off a three-game series at the USTA National Campus to restart its winning streak following its first and only loss of the season to now No. 1 North Carolina.
The maroon and white lost its first doubles point of the season to the blue and gold. The doubles pairs of freshman Mia Kupres with sophomore Gianna Pielet and graduates Jayci Goldsmith and Salma Ewing fell by scores of 6-4 and 7-5. This record meant that the No. 10 doubles pair of senior Carson Branstine and sophomore Mary Stoiana did not finish its match. Stoiana is also ranked with Goldsmith in doubles at No. 33.
“Florida International has a strong and feisty team, and they made us work for the win,” coach Mark Weaver told 12thMan.com.
Freshman Daria Smetannikov and sophomore Jeannette Mireles joined Stoiana, Goldsmith, Branstine and Kupres for singles matches. Stoiana is ranked No. 9 in singles, making her the highest ranked player in the program.
Kupres, who has the longest undefeated streak on the team with seven won matches, defeated her Panther opponent in Uzbekistani graduate Kamila Umarova, 6-2 and 6-0. Beat by the same score, the blue and gold’s Russian freshman Ekaterina Khairutdinova lost to Branstine 6-3 and 6-3. Goldsmith secured the third point in a singles match win over Nigerian freshman Oyinlomo Quadre 6-0 and 7-6.
To wrap up the match, Mireles defeated her Moroccan opponent in junior Salma Loudili to take home a fourth point for the Aggies with a score of 7-6 and 6-2.
Stoiana’s match did not finish as the Aggies earned enough points to win the match, but she had match point against Moroccan sophomore Yasmine Kabbaj with a record of 6-0, 3-6 and 5-1. Smetannikov was on the come up against Czech freshman Katerina Mandelikova with scores of 3-6, 6-3 and 4-3.
Mandelikova and Loudili as a doubles pair previously defeated the Aggie pair of Kupres and Pielet, as well as the Panther duo of Kabbaj and Quadre, who beat Goldsmith and Ewing.
“This will be a great jumpstart for us to get us ready for a big match on Sunday against Ohio State,” Weaver told 12thMan.com.
The Aggies will stay in Florida to play No. 2 Ohio State for the second time this month on Saturday, Feb. 26, at 12 p.m. Fans can keep up with the match on the USTA National Campus website.