Jan. 24, 2015
THE FLATS – The #18 Georgia Tech women’s tennis team (1-0) advanced to the championship match of the ITA Kickoff Weekend after a 4-1 win against #38 Columbia (0-1) at the Ken Byer Tennis Complex on Saturday morning.
“Columbia has a really good team and they play really well indoors because they play indoors a lot so we are fortunate to come out and get a win,” head coach Rodney Harmon said. “I thought we played pretty well in doubles and I think we competed pretty well up and down the line in singles. We just have to rest and get ready for a really tough match tomorrow. We have to play the winner of the Texas Tech, Oklahoma State match. Both teams are ranked just behind us. We are eager and happy to have a chance to play tomorrow.”
The Jackets took the doubles point against the Lions winning on courts two and three. Junior Natasha Prokhnevska and freshman Johnnise Renaud rolled to a 6-2 victory on court three against Adi Milstein and Vivian Cheng.
On court two, junior Kendal Woodard and freshman Paige Hourigan fought back from being down 4-2 to tie up the game, 4-4, against Rima Asatrian and Alexandra Solovyev. The Yellow Jacket duo then rattled off the next two points to clinch the doubles point for Tech with a 6-4 victory.
Sophomore Rasheeda McAdoo and freshman Alexis Prokopuik were up 5-4 against #42 Tina Jiang and Crystal Leung on court one before the doubles point was clinched.
In singles, Woodard cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 victory on court six against Milstein, making the team score 2-0 in favor of the Yellow Jackets. The Lions picked up their only point of the day on a singles win on court four after Alexandra Solovyev defeated #81 Prokhnevska in straight-sets, 6-2, 6-3.
Renaud, who is ranked #63 in singles, was the next Yellow Jacket to claim a victory, defeating Tina Jiang at the number one spot, 6-2, 6-2, putting Tech ahead, 3-1.
McAdoo clinched the 4-1 victory for the Yellow Jackets with a win against Crystal Leung on court three. With a close first set tied at 5-5 against Leung, McAdoo won the next two games to win the set, 7-5. She then put together a 6-3 win in set two to clinch the Yellow Jackets’ first victory of the season.
Prokopuik was up in her match, 6-1, 5-4, against Cheng on court five before the match was clinched. #121 Hourigan was tied in set three, 1-1, against Asatrian after winning set one, 6-3, and falling in set two, 6-2.
The Yellow Jackets will face the winner of #19 Oklahoma State and #29 Texas Tech tomorrow at 2 p.m. in the championship match at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex. Oklahoma State and Texas Tech play at 2 p.m. today.
Columbia vs Georgia Tech
Jan 24, 2015 at Atlanta, Ga.
(Ken Byers Tennis Complex)
#18 Georgia Tech 4, #38 Columbia 1
Singles competition
1. #63 Johnnise Renaud (GT) def. Tina Jiang (COL) 6-2, 6-2
2. #121 Paige Hourigan (GT) vs. Rima Asatrian (COL) 6-3, 2-6, 1-1, unfinished
3. Rasheeda McAdoo (GT) def. Crystal Leung (COL) 7-5, 6-3
4. Alexandra Solovyev (COL) def. #81 Natasha Prokhnevska (GT) 6-2, 6-3
5. Alexis Prokopuik (GT) vs. Vivian Cheng (COL) 6-1, 5-4, unfinished
6. Kendal Woodard (GT) def. Adi Milstein (COL) 6-2, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. Rasheeda McAdoo/Alexis Prokopuik (GT) vs. #42 Tina Jiang/Crystal Leung (COL) 5-4, unfinished
2. Paige Hourigan/Kendal Woodard (GT) def. Rima Asatrian/Alexandra Solovyev (COL) 6-4
3. Natasha Prokhnevska/Johnnise Renaud (GT) def. Adi Milstein/Vivian Cheng (COL) 6-2
Match Notes:
Columbia 0-1; National ranking #38
Georgia Tech 1-0; National ranking #18
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (6,4,1,3)
Match played indoors
–TogetherWeSwarm–
