Women’s Tennis Edged by Denver, 4-2

Friday, January 22

Memphis, Tenn.

9:00 a.m.

University of Memphis

University of Denver

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Jan 22, 2016 | Women's Tennis

Memphis battles back, but falls just short in non-conference match.

By: Tammy DeGroff

MEMPHIS – It came down to singles matches at two and four, Friday, at The Racquet Club of Memphis. Denver (1-0) had claimed the doubles point and wins at 1 and 3 singles to go ahead 3-0, but Memphis (1-1) had fought back with wins at 5 and 6 to pull within one of the Pioneers.

At No. 2 singles, Memphis junior Hanna Sohn battled back from a 6-3 first set loss and 5-4 down to take the second set of her match 7-5. On the court next to her, teammate Marta Morga had also stormed back from dropping the first set, 6-4,, to claim a 6-0 second set win.

Morga kept working her way to deuce in her third set, but the match stayed on serve all the way to 5-4 up for the Pioneers. Next door, Sohn had grabbed an early break and led her third set 3-1 when Morga was up to serve trying to get to 5-all. Morga fought all the way back to deuce after being down 15-30 when, playing in the no-ad format adopted by college tennis last year, she double faulted, dropping her third set 6-4 and giving Denver the fourth team point it needed in the win.

The loss drops Memphis to 1-1 on the season and gives Denver its season opening win as the Pioneers now head to Nashville to face the defending national champs in the ITA Kickoff Weekend.

With the Racquet Club of Memphis now beginning to set up for the ATP 250 Memphis Open in early February, the Memphis women's tennis team will now hit the road, playing at No. 25 Ole Miss, Saturday, Feb. 6th. The Tigers' next home match will be against No. 45 ranked Purdue on Sunday, Feb. 7^th at 9 a.m. at the University Club.

Denver 4, Memphis 2
Doubles
No. 1 -- #44 Maureen Slattery/Julia O'Loughlin (Denver) def. Anki Wind/Hanna Sohn (Memphis), 6-2
No. 2 – Morgan Barnhill/Bianca Mok (Denver) def. Janina Berres/Kathryn Hughes (Memphis), 7-5
No. 3 – Gabrielle Paul/Tara McElroy (Memphis) def. Charlotte Derbyshire/Evy Van Genechten (Denver), 6-2
Singles
No. 1 -- #62 Julia O'Loughlin (Denver) def. Anki Wind (Memphis), 6-3, 6-4
No. 2 – Hanna Sohn (Memphis) vs. Maureen Slattery (Denver), 3-6, 7-5, 3-1, uf
No. 3 – Biana Mok (Denver) def. Kathryn Hughes (Memphis), 6-3, 6-2
No. 4 – Charlotte Derbyshire (Denver) def. Marta Morga (Memphis), 6-4, 0-6, 6-4
No. 5 – Janina Berres (Memphis) def. Morgan Barnhill (Denver), 6-3, 6-2
No. 6 – Gabrielle Paul (Memphis) def. Evy Van Genechten (Denver), 6-1, 6-2
Order of Finish:
Doubles (3, 1, 2); Singles (1 3, 5, 6, 4)