Young Racers Fall At OVC - Schibol Goes Out A Winner - Murray State University Athletics

Friday, April 21

Nashville, Tenn.

10 a.m.

Murray State

Eastern Kentucky

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

Young Racers Fall At OVC - Schibol Goes Out A Winner

4/21/2017 1:19:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Photo Gallery

The Murray State Racers saw their momentum of last week's amazing finish to qualify for the Ohio Valley Conference women's tennis championship come to an end with a 4-2 defeat to the Eastern Kentucky Colonels. The six team season-ending championship was played at Centennial Sportsplex and Tennis Center in Nashville, Tenn.

Making much progress as a young team, the Racers finished the 2016-17 season with a 7-12 record, including a 4-5 mark in OVC play.

Playing under the threat of rain, the first match of the day was completed outdoors at Centennial.

The Racers posted a pair of wins in doubles play from the tandems of Alina Schibol and Claire Chang 6-2 and Sara Bjork and Jeanne Masson 6-3. Taking the doubles point meant the Racers could win the match by taking half of the six singles matches.

However, the momentum from winning the doubles point faded when they lost the first set in five of the six singles matches including a tiebreaker in Amina Hadzick's No. 3 match and Bjork's No. 6 match. In the critical final minutes of the duel, the Racers were down to Bjork and Hadzick needing to win in three sets. EKU won 4-2 when Marina Ernanz closed out Bjork 7-6(7-2), 6-4.

"We had a good battle against EKU last week that went our way, but today they stepped up and played a really good match," MSU coach Jorge Caetano said. "Sometimes you just have to understand when an opponent plays better than you. Our girls fought hard and we had a good game plan, but the execution wasn't there all the time. Our inexperience came out some today and we just couldn't get it done.

With a team that had four freshmen and a pair of sophomores in the main squad and lone senior Alina Schibol, just getting to the tournament was an accomplishment.

"Overall, I am proud of the effort this group has given since we started in August and the potential they have is tremendous," Caetano said. "They're going to be ready for next season that's for sure. They're going to hurt for a while, but today's loss will become motivation for them."

MSU said goodbye to their only senior, Alina Schibol who went out a winner from the No. 5 singles spot with a victory over EKU's Margauz Lacroix 6-1, 6-2. Schibol was important to the team. Not only on the court, but with her leadership.

"I cannot express the words on how much Alina means to use and I wish she had one more year," Caetano said. "When she came here, she didn't have a lot of confidence, but that all came eventually and she was great. She was always a leader for us, always was the person who had that energy. The team needed to hear from here as much as me."

Tennis Match Results
Murray State (6) vs Eastern Kentucky (3)
Ohio Valley Conference Championship
Centennial Tennis Complex - Nashville, Tenn.
Apr 21, 2017
Eastern Kentucky 4, Murray State 2

Singles competition
1. LAGODA, Kristina (EKU) def. LNCAREVIC, Anja (MUR) 7-5, 6-3
2. DEMCENKOVA,Viktorija (EKU) def. CHANG, Claire (MUR) 6-1, 7-5
3. ESCAMILLA, Laura Arg (EKU) vs. HADZIC, Amina (MUR) 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 1-1, unfinished
4. DWINTA, Sagung Putri (EKU) def. LONCAREVIC, Sara (MUR) 6-1, 6-2
5. SCHIBOL, Alina (MUR) def. LACROIX, Marguax (EKU) 6-2, 6-3
6. HERNANZ, Marina Mart (EKU) def. BJORK, Sara (MUR) 7-6 (7-2), 6-4

Doubles competition
1. CHANG, Claire/SCHIBOL, Alina (MUR) def. LAGODA, Kristina/DEMCENKOVA,Viktorija (EKU) 6-2
2. ESCAMILLA, Laura Arg/PEREZ, Raquel Montal (EKU) vs. HADZIC, Amina/LNCAREVIC, Anja (MUR) 5-3, unfinished
3. BJORK, Sara/MASSSON, Jeanne (MUR) def. DWINTA, Sagung Putri/HERNANZ, Marina Mart (EKU) 6-3

Match Notes:
Order of finish Doubles-1,3,2 Singles-3,2,6,4,1,5