STARKVILLE, Miss. – Vanderbilt women’s tennis collected its first conference win of the season with a 4-3 victory over Mississippi State on Sunday at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.
“I’m very proud of the effort from the team today,” Vanderbilt head coach Geoff Macdonald said. “It’s a tough place to play but they stepped up. I’m really happy with the win.
Mississippi State struck first to claim the doubles point with victories at Nos. 2 and 3 doubles. Freshman Marcella Cruz and senior Emma Kurtz fell 6-1 and the Bulldogs collected the doubles point with a 6-1 victory at No. 3.
Eager to bounce back in singles, senior Christina Rosca wasted no time to secure a straight set win at No. 1. Rosca held her opponent to only two games in the first set followed by a 6-1 domination in the second set, marking her third consecutive singles win.
Mississippi State advanced its lead to 3-1 with wins at Nos. 2 and 3 over sophomore Georgia Drummy and Kurtz, respectively.
Cruz commanded a stellar performance at No. 5 in a straight set win 7-5, 6-3 to cut the Dores deficit to 3-2.
Freshman Dasha Kourkina stepped up on court 6 to win 7-5 in the first set. The freshman fell 1-6 in the second set but made a comeback to claim the match with a 6-4 victory in the third.
Clinching the match for the Commodores, junior Amanda Meyer came back to win 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (5) in a gritty win at No. 5 to secure the Commodores’ first SEC win.
.@amanda_meyer12 FOR THE WIN ‼️
Meyer clinches the match with a 6-4, 5-7, 7-6, win over Mikhailuk. #FightDores | #AnchorDown pic.twitter.com/mpPHfCJrjD
— Vanderbilt Women’s Tennis (@VandyWTennis) March 1, 2020
“Clinching the match today meant a lot considering I lost the clinch in Starkville two years ago. It was an absolute battle and I have to give my opponent a lot of props for her toughness,” Meyer said. “Overall, I am very happy to represent Vanderbilt in this win.”
Vanderbilt advances to 5-3 overall and 1-1 in SEC play. The Commodores will return to action at the Currey Tennis Center on Friday to host Auburn followed by welcoming Alabama on Sunday.
Keep up with the Dores as they prepare by following @VandyWTennis on Twitter and Instagram.
