SAN MARCOS, Texas – In what was one of its closest matches of the season so far, the McNeese women's tennis team fought tough but was edged by Texas State, 4-3, Sunday afternoon in San Marcos.
 
With the match tied up at 3-3, it came down to the number two position as junior Sarah Jurakova battled but came up just short as the Bobcats' Pippa Carr took a 7-6, 6-3 win and the match point.
 
The loss dropped McNeese to 1-4 overall on the season while Texas State improved to a perfect 2-0 on the courts.
 
The Bobcats scored the first point with a win in doubles actions on Courts 1 and 2. The team of Phonexay Chitdara and Stella Carra fell in position two while Sarah Jurakova and Giovanna Fioretti were defeated the first spot. 
 
In singles, junior Hannah Brett continued to impress with a convincing 6-1, 6-2 victory that improved her nation-long winning streak to 19 consecutive singles matches.
 
Texas State took the next two matches in the fourth and fifth spots to take a 3-1 lead over McNeese. However, the Cowgirls used victories from Fioretti and sophomore Charoline Erlandsson to bounce back and tie the match up.
 
Fioretti defeated Eva Dench, 7-5, 6-1, in the first spot while Erlandsson took a 6-2, 7-6 win from the sixth position over Ammaarah Tim.
 
The Cowgirls return to action on Saturday, Feb. 11 when they make the trek to Ruston for a doubleheader starting with Louisiana Tech at 11 a.m. and will follow with a bout against Grambling at 2 p.m. Both matches will take place on the campus of Louisiana Tech.
 
Texas State 4, McNeese State 3
 
Singles
1. Giovanna Fioretti (MCN) def. Dench, Eva (TXST) 7-5, 6-1
2. Carr, Pippa (TXST) def. Sarah Jurakova (MCN) 7-6 (7-5), 6-3
3. Hannah Brett (MCN) def. Navajo Melendez, J. (TXST) 6-1, 6-2
4. Perez, Ana (TXST) def. Phonexay Chitdara (MCN) 6-4, 6-1
5. Chia Ming Ming, Joy (TXST) def. Stella Carra (MCN) 6-4, 6-3
6. Charoline Erlandsson (MCN) def. Tim, Ammaarah (TXST) 6-2, 7-6 (7-5)
 
Doubles
1. Dench, Eva/Jones, Alex (TXST) def. Giovanna Fioretti/Sarah Jurakova (MCN) 6-2
2. Carr, Pippa/Perez, Ana (TXST) def. Phonexay Chitdara/Stella Carra (MCN) 6-3
3. Navajo Melendez, J./Chia Ming Ming, Joy (TXST) vs. Hannah Brett/Charoline Erlandsson (MCN) unfinished
 
Match Notes:
McNeese State 1-4
Texas State 2-0
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (3,4,5,1,6,2)