SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Coming off a heartbreaking, 4-3, loss earlier in the week, the Lady Toppers' Tennis squad rebounded Saturday evening as WKU downed Santa Clara, 4-3, at the Degheri Tennis Center.
WKU improves to 7-3 on the year and will play two more matches on its spring break trip in California on Sunday and Tuesday.
Santa Clara (2-5) began the match strong by winning the doubles point. WKU's pair of Violetta Shatalova and Monica Malinen defeated Santa Clara's twosome of Seina El Tawil and Elizabeth Stephens, 6-0, on court three. On courts one and two, the Broncos would do their part, though, claiming the doubles point.
In singles action, WKU rallied and evened the score 1-1 as junior Violetta Shatalova pushed her winning streak to five matches by defeating SCU's Giannina Ong 6-1, 6-4. Matches would go back and forth as no one gained an edge at the No. 2,5 and 4 spots until the two Lady Topper seniors, Elpida Malamou and Andreanna Christopoulou, stepped up and won the final two matches.
After Malamou tied it up 3-3 by beating the Broncos' No. 1 Daniella Silva 7-5, 6-3, Christopoulou showed some stamina by outlasting Nabila Farah 7-6, 6-4 to clinch the Lady Topper victory.
WKU will be back in action on Sunday as the Lady Toppers continue their trip taking on San Francisco at 5 p.m. CT.
Singles
- Elpida Malamou (WKU) def. Daniella Silva (SCU) 7-5, 6-3
- Madison Clarke (SCU) def. Monica Malinen (WKU) 6-2, 6-4
- Andreanna Christopoulou (WKU) def. Nabila Farah (SCU) 7-6, 6-4
- Zeina El Tawil (SCU) def. Cindy Oest (WKU) 6-3, 7-5
- Natalia De Ugarte (WKU) def. Caitlyn Frankel (SCU) 6-3, 6-0
- Violetta Shatalova (WKU) def. Giannina Ong (SCU) 6-1, 6-4
Doubles
- Silva/Clarke (SCU) def. Christopoulou/Friess (WKU) 6-2
- Farah/Frankel (SCU) def. Oest/De Ugarte (WKU) 7-6
- Malinen/Shatalova (WKU) def. Stephens/El Tawil (SCU) 6-0
