SAN ANTONIO – McNeese Cowgirl tennis head coach Giorgia Pozzan knew with her team fielding just five players, picking up the doubles' point to start the match would set a good tone for the remainder of play.
 
That's exactly what the Cowgirls did on Friday in their Southland Conference opener at Incarnate Word when after winning the doubles' point in exciting fashion, the Cowgirls went on to capture the match 4-2 to open up league play with a win. The win improved McNeese to 2-7-1 overall but more importantly, 1-0 in the conference.
 
The team of Carlotta Romito and Marija Mastilovic cruised to a 6-1 win in the No. 2 doubles to even things up at 1-1 after the Cowgirls automatically dropped the No. 3 doubles by default.
 
It came down to the No. 1 doubles where Sofia San Jose Moreno and Matilde Mulatero held off several match points and rallied to defeat Jelena Dordan and Sara Djurdjevic 7-6 (11-9).
 
"All the work we put into doubles is starting to pay off," said Pozzan as the Cowgirls opened up conference play with a win for the seventh straight year. "To rally and get the point after being down several match points, I think that was crucial to propel us toward our first conference win."
 
In singles action, UIW (3-6, 0-1) evened the match 1-1 after winning by default in the No. 6 singles. San Jose Moreno breezed to a 6-0-6-1 win in the No. 3 singles to put the Cowgirls back on top 2-1 but UIW took the point in the No. 1 singles by a 6-4, 6-3 score to knot things 2-2.
 
Mulatero picked up a win in the No. 4 singles 3-6, 6-3 and 4-2 after UIW's Djurdjevic retired in the match as the Cowgirls climbed one point from the win. That point came after Romito took down Alejandra Landaluce 7-6, 6-3 in the No. 2 singles to give the Cowgirls the win.
 
"I'm very proud of the effort and fight the team put forth," said Pozzan. "Now it just needs to continue to get better. All we're thinking about now is Abilene Christian."
 
Mulatero kept her hot streak going by winning her second straight singles and doubles match while San Jose Moreno picked up her second straight doubles win.
 
The Cowgirls will look to build on their momentum when they visit Abilene Christian at 10 a.m. on Sunday.
 
McNeese 4, UIW 2
Singles competition
1. Jelena Dordan (UIW) def. Marija Mastilovic (MCN) 6-4, 6-3
2. Carlotta Romito (MCN) def. Alejandra Landaluce (UIW) 7-6, 6-3
3. Sofia San Jose Moreno (MCN) def. Sophia Kermet (UIW) 6-0, 6-1
4. Matilde Mulatero (MCN) def. Sara Djurdjevic (UIW) 3-6, 6-3, 4-2, by forfeit
5. Taylor Parkinson (UIW) def. Hanna Blinouskaya (MCN) 6-2, 2-6, 5-1, not finished
6. Kinga Psut (UIW) def. No player (MCN), by default
 
Doubles competition
1. Sofia San Jose Moreno/Matilde Mulatero (MCN) def. Jelena Dordan/Sara Djurdjevic (UIW) 7-6 (11-9)
2. Carlotta Romito/Marija Mastilovic (MCN) def. Sophia Kermet/Taylor Parkinson (UIW) 6-1
3. Alejandra Landaluce/Kinga Psut (UIW) def. No player/No player (MCN), by default