The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Arkansas State
Blazers Earn Tough Road Victory at Arkansas State
3/4/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
March 4, 2007
JONESBORO, Ark. - The UAB women's tennis team snuck out a 4-3 road victory at Arkansas State on Saturday. Seniors Nischa Maier-Knapp and Julia von Samson each won a pair of matches in the match to help the Blazers improve to 5-1 on the year.
"This was the closest match of the season for us to this point and it was in maybe the worst weather conditions I've seen in all my years of coaching," UAB head coach Mert Ertunga said. "Even more so, it was against a team that we have had very close matches with over the years."
The Blazers weathered the storm early on by winning the doubles point by winning all three matches. Senior Annemieke Elsholz and von Samson won 8-1 at No. 1 and junior Gulsah Esen and Maier-Knapp won 8-4 at flight two. The third doubles match was the most competitive of the three, with junior Antionia Nugent and freshman Magdalena Czernik winning 8-5.
After Esen lost at flight one singles, the Blazers picked up wins at flights two and three from Maier-Knapp and von Samson, respectively. Arkansas State won at flights four and five and at number six, junior Seden Soyalp ran away with the third set to claim a 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 victory.
"I'm just glad we came out on top," Ertunga said. "That's what you expect from an experienced team like us and the girls came through. Seden and Julia make key comebacks from a set down and our doubles play was impressive considering that the match was played under terrible weather conditions."
The Blazers will be back in action on Tuesday when they host Jacksonville State at 1:30 p.m.
