The match came down to the final singles matches between the top-5 teams
EDMOND, Okla. – The No. 5 Nova Southeastern Sharks tennis team (9-1) suffered its first loss of the season, battling No. 1 and defending National Champion Barry to a final singles decision on Saturday at Oak Tree Country Club – the match ending in a 4-2 loss for the Sharks at the ITA Division II Women’s Indoor Championships.
DOUBLES
- Identical to last season at the Sunshine State Conference Championships when the Sharks topped the Bucs, NSU earned the doubles point, rallying from an 0-1 deficit on a second-flight loss.
- Third-flight pair Karolina Snita and Diane Follin-Arbelet earned a 6-3 victory over Jil Engelmann and Qianxin Kong to start the process to right the doubles effort.
- NCAA No. 1 pair Natalie Espinal and Sarah Wardenburg followed up with a 6-2 victory over Xiyao Wang and Daniela Farfan to clinch the team point.
SINGLES
- Playing with the early lead, the singles opened as a reminder that the Sharks were in for a dogfight against the three-time defending National Champions – as the Bucs quickly downed NSU in the fourth and sixth flights to go ahead 2-1.
- After the Sharks fell to 3-1 on a first-flight loss, Wardenburg began the push down the stretch for an NSU rally, defeating Mariia Skyba at No. 5 with a 6-2, 7-6 (4) win.
- It was a race to the finish with Snita leading Wang 7-6 (3), 3-1 in at the No. 2, as Daniela Obando was working back from a 5-1 second-set deficit with the Sharks chances for victory hinging on a third set opportunity. Obando’s rally fell just short as Julie Razafindranaly closed out the 6-3, 6-4 third-flight win to clinch the match in a 4-2 Barry win.
FROM COACH DOUG NEAGLE
“Not the result we wanted today. The good news is tomorrow we have another opportunity to play against a top five team on the country. We are looking forward to bouncing back from this.”
UP NEXT
The Sharks will wrap up play on Sunday at the ITA Indoor Nationals at 11:00 a.m. CST against Columbus State in the third place game at Oak Tree Country Club.
SOCIAL
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