Racers Advance With Gutsy Win At OVC Tennis Championship

Friday, April 20

Nashville, Tenn.

2 p.m.

Murray State

Morehead State

Photo by: Murray State Sports Information

Racers Advance With Gutsy Win At OVC Tennis Championship

4/20/2012 7:38:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Results I Gallery

The Murray State women's tennis team advanced to the semifinals of the Ohio Valley Conference Tennis Championship Friday with a thrilling 4-3 win over Morehead State at the Centennial Sportsplex in Nashville, Tenn.

The No. 3 seeded Racers now prep for a Saturday 2 p.m. semifinal match with No. 2 UT Martin.

This was the second meeting between the Racers and eagles after they just ended the regular season over the weekend with Murray taking a 7-0 win.

But this time it all came down to senior Ashley Pierson, playing from the No. 6 singles slot, to decide the Racers' fate. With the score of the match tied 3-3, Pierson's third set with Morehead's Shilpa Naruka was in the spotlight. The native of Acworth, Ga., came through to win the final set 6-2 and send the Racers to the semifinals.

“Talk about a gutsy effort, this was senior leadership digging down deep to get the job done,” MSU Head Coach Kara Amundson said. “Ashley battled cramps from the first set on and it was just her never quit spirit that got her through.”

Peirson defeated Naruka 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.

MSU's other wins in singles play came from the No. 3 position, Jordana Klein defeated Victoria Cran 6-1, 6-1 and Carla Suga at No. 4, 7-5, 7-5 over Jessica Montemayor.

MSU started off with a scrappy effort in taking the doubles point when Cassidy Cunitz and Ashley Canty handled Morehad's Cran and Brooke Helms 8-6 and Klein and Pierson beat Jessica Montemayor and Naruka 8-5.

The Friday battle with Morehead was a tough out for the Racers, just as Coach Amundson thought it would be.

“I know we beat Morehead 7-0 last weekend, but that was a match were many of the singles matches could've gone either way,” Amundson said. “We knew this was going to be a point to point battle. For us to have our three, four and six singles step up the way they did is great. We'll go into Saturday with a lot of confidence.”

2012 OVC Women's Tennis Championship -First Round
Morehead State vs Murray State
Apr 20, 2012 at Nashville, Tenn.
Murray State 4, Morehead State 3

Singles competition
1. YOUNG, Alix (MOR-W) def. CUNITZ, Cassidy (MUR-W) 6-4, 6-7 (7-2), 6-1
2. GARRETT, Alexis (MOR-W) def. CANTY, Ashley (MUR-W) 6-1, 6-3
3. KLEIN, Jordana (MUR-W) def. CRAN, Victoria (MOR-W) 6-1, 6-1
4. SUGA, Carla (MUR-W) def. MONTEMAYOR, Jessica (MOR-W) 7-5, 7-5
5. HELMS, Brooke (MOR-W) def. HUERTH, Carolyn (MUR-W) 6-3, 6-2
6. PIERSON, Ashley (MUR-W) def. NARUKA, Shilpa (MOR-W) 6-3, 3-6, 6-2

Doubles competition
1. CUNITZ, Cassidy/CANTY, Ashley (MUR-W) def. CRAN, Victoria/HELMS, Brooke (MOR-W) 8-6
2. YOUNG, Alix/GARRETT, Alexis (MOR-W) def. SUGA, Carla/HUERTH, Carolyn (MUR-W) 8-1
3. KLEIN, Jordana/PIERSON, Ashley (MUR-W) def. MONTEMAYOR, Jessica/NARUKA, Shilpa (MOR-W) 8-5

Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (3,2,5,4,1,6)