FLORENCE, Ala. — WKU Tennis completed a two-day sweep in the Yellowhammer State, earning a 5-2 victory over North Alabama on Monday afternoon. It came less than 24 hours after a 6-1 win by the Lady Toppers at Alabama A&M on Sunday.
WKU improved to 6-12 overall in 2021, stringing together back-to-back wins for the first time this season. The Lions, meanwhile, fell to 6-13 in the final regular-season match of the spring.
"The conditions were so difficult today – it was like playing in a furnace," head coach Greg Davis said. "But give the team credit, they fought to the end and beat a really talented North Alabama team."
The Lady Toppers began by winning the doubles point for the 12th time in 18 matches this season. The No. 3 duo of Tristen Bryant-Otake and Lauren Joch notched a 6-0 win, then the No. 2 pair of Laura Bernardos and Samantha Martinez clinched the opening 1-0 lead with a 6-4 victory.
Bernardos and Martinez improved to 10-3 together at the second doubles spot, while Bryant-Otake and Joch improved to 7-6 together at the third doubles position.
Just as WKU did the previous day against the Bulldogs, the visitors opened singles play with four straight-set wins to jump out to a 5-0 lead and secure a team victory. Lisa Friess started things out with a 6-2, 6-1 score, followed by a 6-3, 6-3 finish from Bernardos. Bryant-Otake then posted a 6-3, 6-3 result, followed by a 7-5, 6-2 outcome from Cora-Lynn von Dungern.
It was Bryant-Otake's seventh win of the year and Friess' sixth. Bernardos improved to a team-best 11-7 – with all matches at the No. 2 singles spot – while von Dungern reached the .500 mark with a 9-9 record – with every one at the No. 1 singles position.
North Alabama did take the last two singles results at No. 3 and No. 4 – both in third-set tiebreakers – to reach the final score of 5-2, in advantage of the Lady Toppers.
WKU improved to 7-8 all-time against the Lions, getting a bit of revenge from 4-3 losses in both 2019 and 2020 to North Alabama.
Next up for the Lady Toppers will be back-to-back matches in the Southwestern Ohio area on Saturday, April 17 and Sunday, April 18 to conclude the regular season. WKU will first play at Dayton (5-12), and then at Cincinnati (5-9) the following day.
Final Results
Singles (Order of finish: 6,2,5,1,3,4)
1: Cora-Lynn von Dungern (WKU) def. Sydney Flesch (UNA) 7-5, 6-2
2: Laura Bernardos (WKU) def. Megan Humphreys (UNA) 6-3, 6-3
3: Nina Linke (UNA) def. Lauren Joch (WKU) 4-6, 6-1, 10-3
4: Kalais Going (UNA) def. Samantha Martinez (WKU) 6-4, 3-6, 10-4
5: Tristen Bryant-Otake (WKU) def. Ida Hasselbalch (UNA) 6-3, 6-3
6: Lisa Friess (WKU) def. Lee-Taylor Bishop (UNA) 6-2, 6-1
Doubles (Order of finish 3,2,1)
1: Flesch/Going (UNA) def. Friess/von Dungern (WKU) 6-4
2: Bernardos/Martinez (WKU) def. Hasselbalch/Humphreys (UNA) 6-4
3: Bryant-Otake/Joch (WKU) def. Bishop/Linke (UNA) 6-0
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