ORLANDO – The UCF women’s team fought hard but fell to Texas Tech Saturday afternoon in the second Big 12 Conference match of the season, 4-2.
Doubles play started out slow for the Knights, exchanging holds up and down the three doubles courts. The tandem of Noel Saidenova and Anique Kattenberg suffered their first loss since Jan. 28, narrowly dropping 6-4 to the seventh-ranked pair from Texas Tech. The freshmen duo of Olivia Lincer and Mihaela Tsoneva went down early, trailing 3-0 at court three. The duo earned a hold, moving to 3-1, and the momentum was all Knights from there out. Lincer and Mihaela dropped just one additional game in the march to the 6-4 victory, their first as a doubles pairing.
Just as the conference opener Thursday, the doubles point came down to a tiebreak at court two between Sophia Biolay and Jantje Tilbuerger. The pair battled back-and-forth but fell 7-6(4) to secure the doubles point for the Red Raiders.
Singles momentum was split between the squads, with UCF taking the first set on courts two, three and four and Texas Tech winning on courts one, five and six. The Red Raiders took the match on court six, as the Knight was forced to retire at 6-0, 1-0, to take a 2-0 lead on the match. Kattenberg fell on court five, 6-4, 6-2, putting Texas Tech within one point of the match clinch.
Biolay, who is ranked 121 in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association singles polls, continued her four-match win streak with a dominant 6-2, 6-1 victory at court two to put the Knights on the board.
Tilbuerger came out with a hot start, blanking her opponent 6-0 in the first set. The second set proved to be more difficult, but the sophomore persevered and earned her second win of the season with the 6-0, 6-4 victory at court four.
The match was clinched at court one, when Lincer was defeated by No. 59 Cristina Tiglea, 6-4, 6-2. The last match was left unfinished, with Saidenova leading 6-1, 3-6, 3-0 when court three went unfinished.
UP NEXT
The Knights travel on their first conference road trip next weekend, taking on Baylor Friday night before traveling to Fort Worth to go head-to-head with TCU Sunday.
Texas Tech 4, UCF 2
Singles competition
- #59 Cristina Tiglea (TTU) def. Olivia Lincer (UCF) 6-4, 6-2
- #121 Sophia Biolay (UCF) def. Mariya Polishchuk (TTU) 6-2, 6-1
- Noel Saidenova (UCF) vs. Avelina Sayfetdinova (TTU) 6-1, 3-6, 3-0, unfinished
- Jantje Tilbuerger (UCF) def. Kate Dmitrichenko (TTU) 6-0, 6-4
- Metka Komac (TTU) def. Anique Kattenberg (UCF) 6-4, 6-2
- Andreea Lila (TTU) def. Mihaela Tsoneva (UCF) 6-0, 1-0, retired
Doubles competition
- #7 Avelina Sayfetdinova/Metka Komac (TTU) def. Anique Kattenberg/Noel Saidenova (UCF) 6-4
- Mariya Polishchuk/Cristina Tiglea (TTU) def. Sophia Biolay/Jantje Tilbuerger (UCF) 7-6 (7-4)
- Olivia Lincer/Mihaela Tsoneva (UCF) def. Jermine Sherif/Andreea Lila (TTU) 6-4
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (6,5,2,4,1)