WICHITA FALLS, Texas (March 20, 2023) – For the first time this season, a dual ending 4-3 was on the other foo, as No.11 Lubbock Christian University fell 4-3 to No.5 Midwestern State in their Lone Star Conference opener Wednesday at MSU Tennis Center.
LCU, who falls to 15-2 overall on the season, had been 5-0 this season in duals ending in a 4-3 final.
Maya Adler, who was playing in No.5-singles and has been the "clincher" much of the season, was in a familiar position with her match the only one active with the dual tied 3-3. She was up 5-4 in a must-win second set, but she dropped the set 7-5 and the Mustangs won 4-3.
It was comeback bid for LCU, as MSU led 1-0 after taking all three doubles matches. MSU led 2-0 until LCU tied the dual at 2-2 with victories from
Andrea De Bernardo (No.2-singles) and
Anastasiia Khrustaleva (No.1-singles).
They were big individual wins for the top two in singles for LCU, as Khrustaleva took down No.38 Jessica Binzari for her first singles win of the season (just her second singles match after coming back from injury for the returning All-Conference selection), and No.31 De Bernardo defeated No.32 Hannah Yip in two sets for the freshman's second victory of the season against a nationally ranked opponent (2-3).
With the dual tied 2-2, MSU's No.66 Anda Ghinga edged
Axelle Jacquemin in three sets (in No.3-singles) for a 3-2 lead. LCU put the focus on Adler's match, as
Anastasiia Opolska won the No.6-singles match to tie the dual at 3-3.
Opolska won her team-leading 19
th match of the season in singles (19-4) and she is 13-1 in duals (6-0 at the No.6-singles spot). It was her eighth consecutive singles win.
The Lady Chaps were facing MSU in Wichita Falls for the first time in program history. They are now 1-2 all-time against the Mustangs. LCU moved to 2-2 on the season against ITA nationally ranked programs and 1-1 against programs ranked inside the top-25.
