Fayetteville, Ark. – The No. 60 Old Dominion women’s tennis team (4-4) battled toe to toe with No. 42 Arkansas before falling in heartbreaking fashion by a 4-3 score on Friday afternoon at Dills Indoor Courts.
The Lady Tennis Monarchs jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after claiming the doubles point, when Nikol Hristova/Nataliya Vlasova defeated Ana Oparenovic/Mia Jurasic, 6-3, on Court No. 2. It was ODU’s Ingrid Vojcinakova and Marijana Novakovic who sealed the deal, taking down Arkansas’ tandem of Shannon Hudson and Agne Cepelyte, 7-5.
The Razorbacks claimed victories in the first three completed singles matches, giving Arkansas a commanding 3-1 lead, but the Lady Monarchs still had plenty of fight left in them.
Old Dominion true freshman Natalya Malenko won sets one and three to get the better of Arkansas’ Mia Jurasic (6-3, 5-7, 6-2), bringing the team score to 3-2.
ODU’s Ingrid Vojcinakova tied the team score up at 3-3, when she proved to be too much for Agne Cepelyte in a thrilling three-setter (6-3, 3-6, 7-5).
In what turned out to be a back and forth marathon match on Court No. 1 to decide the victor, Arkansas’ Shannon Hudson eventually put away ODU’s Adriana Rajkovic, 6-7 (2-7), 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), lifting the Razorbacks to the narrowest of victories on Friday afternoon in Fayetteville, Ark.
The Old Dominion women’s tennis team will be back in action on Sunday, Feb. 28 against Harvard at the Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center at 11:00 a.m.
Tennis Match Results
Old Dominion vs. Arkansas
Feb 19, 2016 at Fayetteville, Ark. (Dills Indoor Court)
#42 Arkansas 4, #60 Old Dominion 3
Singles Competition
1. Shannon Hudson (ARK) def. Adriana Rajkovic (ODU) 6-7 (2-7), 6-3, 7-6 (7-5)
2. Ana Oparenovic (ARK) def. Nataliya Vlasova (ODU) 6-4, 5-7, 6-1
3. Yuliya Lysa (ARK) def. Borislava Botusharov (ODU) 5-7, 6-4, 6-4
4. Makenzie Craft (ARK) def. Nikol Hristova (ODU) 6-1, 6-4
5. Ingrid Vojcinakova (ODU) def. Agne Cepelyte (ARK) 6-3, 3-6, 7-5
6. Natalya Malenko (ODU) def. Mia Jurasic (ARK) 6-3, 5-7, 6-2
Doubles Competition
1. Makenzie Craft/Flavia Araujo (ARK) def. Adriana Rajkovic/Ivana Vukovic (ODU) 6-3
2. Nikol Hristova/Nataliya Vlasova (ODU) def. Ana Oparenovic/Mia Jurasic (ARK) 6-3
3. Ingrid Vojcinakova/Marijana Novakovic (ODU) def. Shannon Hudson/Agne Cepelyte (ARK) 7-5
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (4,2,3,6,5,1)