HOUSTONÂ - The Wichita State women's tennis team (1-4) fell short to Houston Friday at the Wallace-Winston Tennis Facility.
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FROM HEAD COACH COLIN FOSTER
"The effort and energy are there, we just simply need to play better in big moments. We lost a bunch of close sets and need to have a little better plan and identity as far as what we want to do in those moments".
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SINGLES
Due to cold temperatures, the dual between the Shockers and Cougars began with singles action.
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Senior
Sandra Honigova, the Shockers' lone senior, took on Ndindi Ndunda in the top flight where she grabbed her first dual win of the season in dominant fashion, 6-3, 6-1. Houston got one back on court three, where Sophie Gerits took down
Marta Bellucco in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0.
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The Cougars jumped out to a 2-1 lead after Phonexay Chitdara, who came into the match with a 3-1 record, defeated
Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva. Saidhujaeva fell in the first set, 6-4, and battled in the second before falling 7-5.
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Alexandra Lazarova got the nod in the sixth flight, where she faced off against Stephanie Belovukovic. The sophomore from Slovakia rolled in the first, 6-0, before Belovukovic took the final sets (6-1, 6-3) to extend the Cougar lead.
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Newcomer
LingWei Kong competed in the fourth flight, where she went head-to-head with Jovana Vukovic. The sophomore trailed early in the first, then took a 6-5 lead. After becoming tied it at six, Vukovic won the tiebreaker over Kong. Kong and Vukovic traded early games in the second, until Vukovic grabbed a break to take the set, 6-4, and clinch the win for Houston.
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Shocker junior
Esther Thebault trailed 4-3 in the third set after trading sets with Mimi Kendall-Woseley in flight two.
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The Shockers look to rebound with a 10 a.m. matchup with UT-Arlington on Sunday in at the UTA Tennis Center in Arlington.
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Houston 4, Wichita State 1
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Singles
1.
Sandra Honigova (WSU) def. Ndindi Ndunda (UH), 6-3, 6-1
2.
Esther Thebault (WSU) vs. Mimi Kendall-Woseley (UH), 4-6, 6-2, 3-4, uf
3. Sophie Gerits (UH) def.
Marta Bellucco (WSU), 6-4, 6-0
4. Jovana Vukovic (UH) def.
LingWei Kong (WSU), 7-6, 6-4
5. Phonexay Chitdara (UH) def.
Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva (WSU), 6-4, 7-5
6. Stephanie Belovukovic (UH) def.
Alexandra Lazarova (WSU), 0-6, 6-1, 6-3
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Doubles
1.
Esther Thebault/
Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva (WSU) vs. Ndindi Ndunda/Mimi Kendall-Woseley (UH), uf
2.
Marta Bellucco/
Sandra Honigova (WSU) vs. Sophie Gerits/Phonexay Chitdara (UH). uf
3.
Ting-Ya Hsu/
LingWei Kong (WSU) vs. Jovana Vukovic/Elena Tairyan (UH), uf
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