Air Force Academy

Feb. 17, 2013

The Air Force women’s tennis team dropped a heartbreaking 4-3 decision to UT-Arlington Sunday at the UTA Tennis Center in Arlington, Texas. The Falcons fell to 4-4, while UTA won its first match of the season and is 1-2.

UTA opened the match by winning the doubles point with victories at the top two spots. AFA’s No. 3 team of sophomores Tiffany Tran and Marcelli Magday defeated Katar Dikosavljevic and Christine Foote, 8-4.

In singles, the teams split the six matches with three going three sets. Dikosavljevic gave UTA a 2-0 lead with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Tran at No. 2 and Giada D’Ortona followed suit at the No. 4 spot with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over AFA sophomore Natasha Rizvi at No. 4.

Senior Hannah Dake started a furious Falcon rally with a 7-6, 6-4 win over Verena Scott and the No. 3 position and freshman Mary Meyers cut the UTA lead to 3-2 with a come from behind 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over Liucija Smaizyta. Senior Christine Molina evened the match with an exciting 6-1, 1-6, 7-6 victory at the No. 1 spot over Brook Dennis, setting up the final match at No. 5. UTA’s Elizabeth Thoms clinched the victory with a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 victory over senior Melissa Cecil.

“This match could not have been any closer,” said Air Force head coach Kim Gidley. “The team put forth an amazing effort. We were down 3-0 in matches, but the team fought back to the last match, tying the score at 3-3 before losing in the tie-break. I could not be prouder of my players and their fight!”

UT-Arlington 4, Air Force 3
Feb. 17, 2013
Arlington, Texas

Doubles
1. Dennis / Thoms (UTA) def. Cecil / Dake, 8-4
2. D'Ortona / Scott (UTA) def. Molina / Rizvi, 8-5
3. Tran / Marcelli Magday (AF) def. Dikosavljevic / Christine Foote, 8-4
Order of Finish: 3, 1, 2

Singles
1. Christine Molina (AF) def. Brook Dennis, 6-1, 2-6, 7-6
2. Katar Dikosavljevic (UTA) def. Tiffany Tran, 6-2, 6-4
3. Hannah Dake (AF) def. Verena Scott, 7-6, 6-4
4. Giada D'Ortona (UTA) def. Natasha Rizvi, 6-3, 6-4
5. Elizabeth Thoms (UTA) def. Melissa Cecil, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6
6. Mary Meyers (AF) def. Liucija Smaizyta, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1
Order of Finish: 2, 4, 3, 6, 1, 5