UCLA
Georgia Tech
No. 24 Bruins Fall to No. 11 Georgia Tech, 4-2
January 29, 2017 | Women's Tennis
ATLANTA -- The No. 24 UCLA women's tennis team dropped their first match of 2017 Sunday, when it fell to No. 11 Georgia Tech, 4-2, in the finale of ITA Kick-Off Weekend at Ken Byers Tennis Complex.
Doubles play went down to the wire, as the UCLA (2-1) pair of sophomore Gabby Andrews and junior Kristin Wiley defeated freshmen Nami Otsuka and Nadia Gizdova of the Yellow Jackets on Court 3, 7-5. Georgia Tech (4-0) matched the Bruins when junior Paige Hourigan and freshman Kenya Jones pulled out a win over UCLA's junior Terri Fleming and sophomore Alaina Miller, 7-6, with a 7-4 tiebreaker.
That set the stage for Court 1, where ninth-ranked Bruin freshman duo Jada Hart and Ena Shibahara faced off with Georgia Tech's team of senior Rasheeda McAdoo and junior Johnnise Renaud. That match also went to a tiebreaker, where the Yellow Jackets closed out the set after a lengthy battle, 7-6(10).
It took three sets to decide three of the five singles matches and it nearly came down to Court 1 to determine the deciding point. Wiley fell to No. 82 Otsuka in straight sets, 3-6, 0-6, to give the Yellow Jackets their second point. After a rough first set, Hart staged a furious response to capture the Bruins' first point of the day, 0-6, 6-1, 6-3. On Court 3, after winning the first set, Miller dropped consecutive sets and the match, 6-4, 2-6, 1-6.
Down 3-1, Fleming withstood a challenge from Hourigan and held on for a 7-6(7), 7-5 win on Court 2. That left Andrews with a chance to send the match to Court 1, but her efforts were not quite enough, as she fell to Georgia Tech's Gizdova, 2-6, 7-5, 3-6.
With their win, the Yellow Jackets qualified for the ITA National Team Indoor Championships in February. The Bruins will open their home schedule Friday, Feb. 3, when UC Santa Barbara invades the Sunset Canyon Tennis Courts. Play will begin at 1:30 p.m.
Tennis Match Results
UCLA vs Georgia Tech
Jan 29, 2017 at Atlanta, Ga.
(Ken Byers Tennis Complex)
#11 Georgia Tech 4, #24 UCLA 2
Doubles competition
1. McAdoo/Renaud (GT) def. #9 Hart/Shibahara (UCLA) 7-6 (12-10)
2. Hourigan/Jones (GT) def. Fleming/Miller (UCLA) 7-6 (7-4)
3. Andrews/Wiley (UCLA) def. Otsuka/Gizdova (GT) 7-5
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Singles competition
1. #42 Rasheeda McAdoo (GT) vs. #4 Ena Shibahara (UCLA) 7-5, 3-6, 2-5, unfinished
2. Terri Fleming (UCLA) def. Paige Hourigan (GT) 7-6 (9-7), 7-5
3. Johnnise Renaud (GT) def. Alaina Miller (UCLA) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1
4. Jada Hart (UCLA) def. Kenya Jones (GT) 0-6, 6-1, 6-3
5. Nadia Gizdova (GT) def. Gabby Andrews (UCLA) 6-2, 5-7, 6-3
6. #82 Nami Otsuka (GT) def. Kristin Wiley (UCLA) 6-3, 6-0
Match Notes:
UCLA 2-1; National ranking #24
Georgia Tech 4-0; National ranking #11
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (6,4,3,2,5)
ITA Kick-Off Weekend Championship Match
Players Mentioned
