CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Friday's Southland Conference contest turned out to be a sweet success for the McNeese State women's tennis team who delivered a decisive 4-1 victory against defending league champion Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

The win improved the Cowgirls to 8-5 on the year and 4-1 in SLC action while the Islanders dipped to 8-7 overall and 2-3 in league play.

McNeese's victory against AMCC was its first in three attempts against the Islanders who took both meetings against the Cowgirls last season. The last time a McNeese squad defeated A&M-Corpus Christi was during the 2013 season.

"I am so happy for our team," said head coach Helen Besovic. "This was a well-deserved fought match and a deserved win for us. Corpus played hard but we were able to step up and play with a lot of heart."

The Cowgirls found themselves with the early lead after clinching the doubles point with victories on Courts 1 and 2. After the team of Sarah Jurakova and Vivien Borbely were defeated on Court 3, Julia Kral and partner Hannah Brett evened the score after taking down Chelsea Horan and Jelena Dzinic, 8-4.

Kral and Brett continue to dominate in the doubles division as the pair scored their eighth win together and have now won seven in a row.

The doubles were clinched by the combo of Klaudia Gawlik and Anastasija Trubich who delivered a hard-fought victory over Maider Martin and Celia Rodriguez in an 8-6 battle for the No. 1 position.

"Today we showed that when we really want it we are one of the toughest teams in the league," said Besovic. "Coach Dobbs and I are very proud of the girls today."

McNeese proved that they wanted the victory in singles action after AMCC tied the match up at one point apiece after Martin took a 6-1, 6-1 decision from Borbely in the fourth spot.

Nothing less than a win was acceptable for the Cowgirl squad who pulled together and picked up the next four courts and scored the huge upset over the Islanders.

Sarah Jurakova defeated Kerry Galhos in the fifth spot in a 6-3, 6-3 affair to put the Cowgirls up 3-1.

It was the determination and will of Julia Kral that helped the Cowgirls pull off one of their biggest wins of the season as he took Dzinic to the limits on Court Two and survived by picking up the win in a 7-6 (8-6), 6-0 match.

The victory was Kral's team-high ninth of the season as she has now won four matches in a row. Jurakova's victory was her second consecutive and fourth in her last six contests.

The Cowgirls will be back in action on Sunday when they travel to San Antonio to face off against Incarnatr Word. First serve is slated for 11 a.m.

McNeese 4, Texas A&M - Corpus Christi 1
3/27/2015 at Corpus Christi, Texas
 
 Singles competition 
1. Klaudia Gawlik (MCN) def. Judit Vives (AMCC) 6-2, 6-2
2. Julia Kral (MCN) def. Jelena Dzinic (AMCC) 7-6 (8-6), 6-0
3. Celia Rodriguez (AMCC) vs. Hannah Brett (MCN) 6-7 (4-7), 5-3, unfinished
4. Maider Martin (AMCC) def. Vivien Borbely (MCN) 6-1, 6-1
5. Sarah Jurakova (MCN) def. Kerry Galhos (AMCC) 6-3, 6-3
6. Chelsea Horan (AMCC) vs. Anastasija Trubich (MCN) 5-7, 4-3, unfinished
 
 Doubles competition 
1. Klaudia Gawlik/Anastasija Trubich (MCN) def. Maider Martin/Celia Rodriguez (AMCC) 8-6
2. Julia Kral/Hannah Brett (MCN) def. Chelsea Horan/Jelena Dzinic (AMCC) 8-4
3. Judit Vives/Kerry Galhos (AMCC) def. Sarah Jurakova/Vivien Borbely (MCN) 8-3
 
Match Notes:
McNeese 8-5, 4-1 SLC
Texas A&M - Corpus Christi 8-7, 2-3 SLC
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (4,1,5,2)