PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana Christian University women's tennis program snapped a 20-match on-campus winning drought that dated back seven years in dominant fashion during its first contest back on their home court since the team's reinstatement, caging the NCAA Division I's Grambling State Tigers and showing no mercy by skunking the visitors, 7-0.
 
The Basics: 
 

• Date:
  • February 13, 2024

 

• Score:
  • Louisiana Christian – 7
  • Grambling State – 0

 

• Final Records:
  • Louisiana Christian (6-14, 2-6 Red River)
  • Grambling State (1-15, 1-7 SWAC)

 

• Location:
  • Pineville, Louisiana – Richard L. Crowell Tennis Center

 

• Honorable Mentions:
  • 1. Cats Clip Eagles For First Conference Win In A Decade (Box Score)
  • 2. Tennis Moves Above .500 In Road Rout Of Millsaps (Box Score)
  • 3. Starkova Gets On The Board With Victory Over Copiah-Lincoln CC (Box Score)

 
Match Recap: 
 

• The victory was the ladies' fourth straight, third shutout in-a-row, broke the record for most triumphs in a single season (back through 2008), and the first over an NCAA Division I opponent over at least the past 16 years.

 

• Sophomore Patricia Principal Pineda brushed off her counterpart with relative ease, taking the point out of the top spot in a seemingly effortless (6-1, 6-0) result opposite Jovana Latinovic.

 

• Freshman Alexandra Cedeno was on the second flight and encountered a similar situation, cruising past her adversary, Takudzwa Mawisire, by a 6-3, 6-1 decision.

 

• The #3 singles showdown was a classic cat fight between a Wildcat (sophomore Raquel Coelho Rodrigues) and a Tiger (Claire Machisa) with the Orange and Blue prevailing in a tiebreaker, sweating out game one (7⁷-6⁰) before doubling up for the score in the second (6-3).

 

• A pair of freshman, #4 Ana Sofia Ferrer Martinez and #5 Chloe Batterton, were met with little resistance from their competitors, strolling to wins over Ekaterina Dziova (6-2, 6-1) and Leah Bryant (6-1, 6-1), respectively.

 

• Freshman Tanit Cevada Cruz had the privilege of victory just by showing up out of the six-hole as GSU forfeited the point.

 

• Doubles play was nearly as lopsided as the singles showings as the duo of Principal Pineda / Cedeno skunked Latinovic / Machisa on the top level (6-0) while Coelho Rodrigues / Ferrer Martinez had little issue with Mawisire / Dziova on the second line (6-3).

 
Top-Ten Wins Of 2023-24:
  

• #10 – Men's Basketball Slays William Carey In Home Debut
• #9 – Women's Soccer Clobbers Red River Rivals To Even All-Time Series
• #8 – Softball Takes Advantage Of Big Sixth Inning To Knock Off #21 William Carey For The First Time
• #7 – Men's Golf Accounts For Five Of The Top Six Individuals, Wins Dallas Christian Collegiate Pro-Am
• #6 – Women's Tennis Flexes Their Muscles In Sweep Of Grambling, First Home Win Since 2017
• #5 – Revealed June 17
• #4 – Revealed June 18
• #3 – Revealed June 19
• #2 – Revealed June 20
• #1 – Revealed June 21

 

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