Pepperdine University
UNLV
#3 Pepperdine Advances to ITA Kick-Off Championships
1/28/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
HIGHLIGHTS | RESULTS | TOURNAMENT CENTRAL | PHOTO GALLERY
MALIBU, Calif.: The 3rd-ranked Pepperdine women's tennis team started ITA Kick-Off Weekend with a commanding 4-0 sweep over UNLV this Saturday morning at Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center. The Waves won doubles to pull ahead early and finished strong with singles wins on courts five, six and three to earn the home-opening first-dual victory.
Sophomore Dzina Milovanovic, senior Apichaya Runglerdkriangkrai and 22nd-ranked junior Mayar Sherif were the singles winners with Sherif clinching the overall win on the day to send the Waves to the ITA Kick-Weekend Championship match to be played at 1 p.m. tomorrow (Jan. 29) against either NC State or Arkansas.
The Waves (1-0) went ahead with two wins on courts two and three to go ahead 1-0 in the match. Pepperdine's 8th-ranked senior, sophomore duo Runglerdkriangkrai and Luisa Stefani, opened the winning ways with a 6-3 victory over Cristina Moroi and Carol Yang.
Milovanovic and freshman Ashley Lahey then downed their opponents 6-4 in the three doubles position to help the Waves to the advantage. Pepperdine's 3rd-ranked senior Christine Maddox and Ahmed also played in the number one's position, but their match was abandoned due to the doubles clinch.
In singles, Milovanovic struck first with a dominating 6-0, 6-2 win over the Rebels' En Pei Huang on court five. Runglerdkriangkrai was soon to follow on court six against Jovana Kenic, with a 6-2, 6-1 victory to put the home team up 3-0. Sherif commanded her first set 6-1 to pull forward, but Paola Artiga put up a fight in the second. Sherif eventually prevailed with a sizeable 6-4 win to clinch the match for Pepperdine.
The Waves 8th-ranked Stefani, 21st-ranked Lahey and junior Laura Gulbe also competed in singles, with matches abandoned due to the clinch. Stefani was ahead 6-1, 5-4 against 48th-ranked Carol Yang on court one and Gulbe was leading 6-3, 3-3 in the number four doubles position.
The ITA Kick-Off Weekend Championships will take place at 1 p.m. at Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center tomorrow (Jan. 29). The consolation match will be played at 10 a.m. Pepperdine will play the winner of NC State and Arkansas and UNLV will take on the loser.
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Players Mentioned
