NORFOLK, Va. – The Old Dominion women’s tennis team started off the weekend with a 6-1 victory over Georgia State Friday afternoon at the Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center.
“We are very impressed with the match toughness we showed at key positions today,” said ODU head coach Dominic Manilla. “Going 3-0 in third sets says a lot about a team and how they compete. VCU will be much tougher on Sunday, especially given the long-established rivalry between our programs. We need to be on top of our game Sunday.”
The Lady Monarchs (5-3) jumped ahead early with a pair of doubles wins. At the No. 1 spot, Borislava Botusharova and Nikol Hristova cruised past the Panthers nationally ranked No. 40 duo of Linn Timmermann and Tarani Kamoe, by a score of 6-0.
Marijana Novakovic and Ingrid Vojcinakova took their No. 3 doubles match 6-3 against Marcia Tere-Apisah and Masa Grgan. The No. 2 match had ODU’s Adriana Rajkovic and Ivana Vukovic up 6-5 over Niri Rasolomalala and Kristin Rehse, but went unfinished.
Botusharova (Pazardzhik, Bulgaria) carried her quick play over to No. 1 singles action, where she defeated Grgan 6-3, 6-3. ODU’s true freshman is now 7-1 in singles play this season.
Vukovic was next to finish with a straight set (6-0, 6-4) victory against Tere-Apisah in No. 6 play. With the win, Vukovic is now 4-3 on the season.
At No. 2 singles, Hristova and Rasolomalala went three sets, but in the end Hristova was too much, taking the match 6-2, 2-6, 6-1. Hristova moves to 3-1 for the 2015 season.
ODU sophomore Marijana Novakovic also went three sets. The sophomore from Brcko, Bosnia & Herzegovina battled with Georgia State’s Chaimaa Roudami but claimed the No. 5 match 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. Novakovic has now won seven of her first eight matches this season for the Lady Tennis Monarchs.
Also going the distance was fellow sophomore Ingrid Vojcinakova and GSU’s Rehse at No. 4 singles. After falling 1-6 in the opening set, ODU’s Zilina, Slovakia-native won the next two sets 7-5 and 6-4. Ingrid is an impressive 6-2 in singles action this season.
SCOREBOARD
OLD DOMINION: 6 GEORGIA STATE: 1
Doubles (order of finish: 1,3)
No. 1 – Borislava Botusharova/Nikol Hristova (ODU) def. No. 40 Linn Timmermann/Tarani Kamoe (GSU) 6-0
No. 2 – Adriana Rajkovic/Ivana Vukovic (ODU) and Niri Rasolomalala/Kristin Rehse (GSU) DNF, 6-5
No. 3 – Marijana Novakovic/Ingrid Vojcinakova (ODU) def. Marcia Tere-Apisah/Masa Grgan (GSU) 6-3
Singles (order of finish: 1,3,6,2,5,4)
No. 1 – Borislava Botusharova (ODU) def. Masa Grgan (GSU) 6-3, 6-3
No. 2 – Nikol Hristova (ODU) def. Niri Rasolomalala (GSU) 6-2, 2-6, 6-1
No. 3 – Linn Timmermann (GSU) def. Adriana Rajkovic (ODU) 6-4, 6-4
No. 4 – Ingrid Vojcinakova (ODU) def. Kristin Rehse (GSU) 1-6, 7-5, 6-4
No. 5 – Marijana Novakovic (ODU) def. Chaimaa Roudami (GSU) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
No. 6 – Ivana Vukovic (ODU) def. Marcia Tere-Apisah (GSU) 6-0, 6-4.
NEXT UP FOR THE LADY MONARCHS
Old Dominion will play host to nationally ranked No. 61 Virginia Commonwealth Sunday for a 12 p.m. ET match at the Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center.
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