LAKE CHARLES – Giovanna Fioretti scored an emotional comeback victory to help the McNeese women's tennis squad past New Orleans, 4-3, in Southland Conference action Saturday afternoon at the Nancy Hank Tennis Center.
 
With the overall score knotted up at 3-3, the match came down to the top spot as Fioretti and UNO's Trang Dao battled it out in a three-set duel.
 
There were plenty of highlights to go along with the action as Dao scored a win in the first set. However, Fioretti was determined and fought her way back to take the second set.
 
In the final set, with all eyes on both the top players, Fioretti was all business and took down Dao 4-6, 7-6, 7-5 to secure the match point.
 
The victory pushed McNeese to 6-6 overall on the season and a 2-0 mark in league play while New Orleans fell to 4-3 on the season and 1-1 in conference action.
 
The Cowgirls scored the first point of the day with a win in doubles action as the team of Hannah Brett and Sarah Jurakova took the first spot while Vivien Borbely and Charoline Erlandsson won from the second position.
 
UNO looked to upset the home team as it tied the match up with a score in the second, third and fourth spot to go up 3-2 over McNeese.
 
Newcomer Phonexay Chitdara got the Cowgirls back in the match with a win on Court Five to tie the score up 3-3.
 
Fioretti's victory secured McNeese's second consecutive conference win to begin the season.
 
The Cowgirls will step out of conference play Sunday afternoon to host Alcorn State at the Hank Tennis Center. First serve is set for 1 p.m.
 
McNeese 4, New Orleans 3
March 4, 2017 at Lake Charles, La. (Nancy Hank Tennis Center)
 
Singles competition
1. Giovanna Fioretti (MCN) def. Trang Dao (UNO) 4-6, 7-6, 7-5
2. Anja Luethi (UNO) def. Sarah Jurakova (MCN) 6-1, 2-6, 6-1
3. Anna Segarra (UNO) def. Hannah Brett (MCN) 6-3, 6-3
4. Claudette Gilhespie (UNO) def. Vivien Borbely 6-4, 6-2
5. Phonexay Chitdara (MCN) def. Brittany Johnson 7-6, 4-6, 6-3
6. Charoline Erlandsson (MCN)def. Yasmine Rashad 6-0, 4-6, 6-1
 
Doubles competition
1. Sarah Jurakova/Hannah Brett (MCN) def. Anja Luethi/Claudette Gilhsepie (UNO) 6-2
2. Vivien Borbely/Charoline Erlandsson (MCN) def. Trang Dao/Yasmine Rashad (UNO) 6-1
3. Giovanna Fioretti/Stella Carra (MCN) vs. Anna Segarra/Brittany Johnson 4-5, unfinished
 
Match Notes
New Orleans 4-3, 1-1 SLC
McNeese 6-6, 2-0 SLC
Order of Finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (4,6,3,2,5,1)