Box Score HOUSTON – The McNeese Cowgirl tennis squad opened up the 2021 season with a 7-0 loss to Rice here Saturday afternoon, but it didn't come without a fight from a team that didn't have an offseason program like other schools around the country due to the damage caused to its facilities by hurricanes Laura and Delta.
Rice won the doubles point after taking all three matches and swept all six singles competitions despite a couple of Cowgirls putting up a tough fight.
In the No. 1 singles, McNeese's
Carlotta Romito fell 6-4, 6-4 to Rice's Victoria Smirnova while in the No. 3 match, the Cowgirls'
Matilde Mulatero battled Anna Bowtell befor falling 6-4, 7-6 (7-2).
Those Nos. 1 and 3 matches were the final two to finish on the day.
In other singles action, Sofia Moreno fell to Michaela Haet in the No. 2 singles 6-1, 6-0; freshman Ballo dropped a 6-2, 6-0 decision to Federica Trevisan in the No. 4 spot;
Hanna Blinouskaya lost to Diae El Jardi 6-1, 6-3 in the No. 6 match and freshman
Luna Jokanovic retired her match to Maria Budin in the No. 5 slot, 6-2, 3-0.
The Cowgirls will stick around in Houston for a Sunday match against the University of Houston.
Tennis Match Results
McNeese vs Rice
1/16/2021 at Houston, TX
(George R. Brown Tennis Center)
Rice 7, McNeese 0
Singles competition
1. Victoria Smirnova (RICE) def.
Carlotta Romito (MCN) 6-4, 6-4
2. Michaela Haet (RICE) def.
Sofia San Jose Moreno (MCN) 6-1, 6-0
3. Anna Bowtell (RICE) def.
Matilde Mulatero (MCN) 6-4, 7-6 (7-2)
4. Federica Trevisan (RICE) def.
Natalia Ballo (MCN) 6-2, 6-0
5. Maria Budin (RICE) def.
Luna Jokanovic (MCN) 6-2, 3-0, retired
6. Diae El Jardi (RICE) def.
Hanna Blinouskaya (MCN) 6-1, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. Diae El Jardi/Maria Budin (RICE) def.
Luna Jokanovic/Sofia Moreno (MCN) 6-1
2. Anna Bowtell/Victoria Smirnova (RICE) def.
Carlotta Romito/
Hanna Blinouskaya (MCN) 6-2
3. Federica Trevisan/Michaela Haet (RICE) def.
Natalia Ballo/
Matilde Mulatero (MCN) 6-2
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (2,5,4,6,1,3)
