April 1st, 2008
Tennis Sweeps Weekend with Wins Over SFA, SHSU

By Chris Riley
Assistant Media Relations Director
Texas State Intercollegiate Athletics

‘Cats handle Ladyjacks 4-0, slide past Bearkats 4-3

SAN MARCOS – Rabea Hartmann and Lainy Chafitz swept both their singles matches while Chafitz also paired with Ashley Ellis to help Texas State win two key doubles points as the Bobcats swept a pair of conference matches over the weekend with a 4-0 win over Stephen F. Austin before a close 4-3 win over Sam Houston State. 

Texas State (7-8, 4-2 SLC) snapped a three-match losing streak and improved to fourth in the Southland standings with the wins.

Against SFA, Texas State opened the match with a sweep at the doubles point led by Andrea Giraldo and Hartmann’s 8-2 win in the top slot. Chafitz and Ellis won 8-6 in the No. 2 doubles match to clinch the point. 

In singles play, Giraldo defeated Roxana Enica in straight sets 6-1, 6-0 to put the Bobcats up 2-0. Hartmann and Ellis closed out the match, winning each of their respective spots in straight sets 6-1, 6-2. The other three singles matches were then called before the first set could be completed in any of them.

Sam Houston State provided more drama. The Bearkats opened with an 8-6 win in the top doubles match-up, but Texas State recovered as the Ellis-Chafitz duo won 8-6 to tie the doubles matchup at 1-1. With the point on the line, Ali Gulida and Mackenzie Farmer won an 8-6 contest over Nora Kuruc and Patricia Manzur to give the Bobcats a 1-0 advantage. 

In a battle at the top singles position, Irina Sotnikova held off Giraldo with a 7-6, 5-7, 10-8 win that evened the match at 1-1. Hartmann helped Texas State retake the lead with a 6-2, 6-2 win at the No. 2 singles match, but the Bearkats came back with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 Peta Taylor win over Ellis at No. 3.

With the match tied at 2-2, Chaifts defeated Stasa Vujosevic 6-0, 6-2 for a key point that swung momentum to Texas State, and Ali Gulida clinched the Bobcat win with a 7-6, 6-3 win in No. 5 singles. 

The ‘Cats will now travel south to face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and UTSA beginning with a match against the Islanders on April 5.