The Chattanooga women's tennis team dropped its Saturday afternoon match against the University of Alabama-Birmingham 4-3 on the UTC Tennis Courts. It was the second straight 4-3 loss for the Lady Mocs at home and the fourth time this year Chattanooga has dropped a one-point match.
With the loss, the Lady Mocs drop to 4-8 overall while the Blazers improve to 8-5 on the season.
UTC started strong by taking the doubles point, keyed by a dominating 8-2 win by Jenna Nurik and Shaina Singh at No. 2. Emily Hangstefer and Charlotte Bossy fell 8-4 after keeping it close throughout the early part of the match, leaving it to Annie Green and Beata Knizat to close it out.
The pair led the majority of the match, but it took 14 games for UTC to clinch the doubles point when Knizat held serve for the eighth and deciding point.
The Lady Mocs would not earn another point, however, until the match had already been decided. The Blazers won at the six, four, three and two spots in order to claim the first four singles points before Nurik clinched her fourth straight victory at No. 1.
The freshman dropped the first set, 6-4, before rallying to claim the next two decisively, 6-3 and 6-0. With the come-from-behind victory, Nurik moved to 6-0 in three matches this week with the singles and doubles combined.
Bossy also earned a two-set victory, winning 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (8-6). She and her UAB counterpart, Brittany DeFelice, were the last ones on the courts, and Bossy used an enthusiastic cheering section to pull through. Trailing 6-2 in the second-set tiebreaker, she reeled off six straight points to get the win.
The Lady Mocs are back at home on the UTC Tennis Courts Wednesday, March 24 against Lee University. The match is set for 2 p.m. at the Champions Club in a doubleheader with the men's teams. Chattanooga resumes conference play Saturday, March 27 against Wofford at 10 a.m. on the UTC Tennis Courts.
UAB 4 - Chattanooga 3
Doubles Competition
1. Evelien Strijker/Giorgia Romeo (UAB) def. Charlotte Bossy/Emily Hangstefer (UTC) - 8-4
2. Jenna Nurik/Shaina Singh (UTC) def. Menanteau Moolman/Richole Berger (UAB) - 8-2
3. Beata Knizat/Annie Green (UTC) def. Jenny Cape/Paula Alvarez (UAB) - 8-6
Singles Competition
1. Jenna Nurik (UTC) def. Evelien Strijker (UAB) - 4-6, 6-3, 6-0
2. Paula Alvarez (UAB) def. Emily Hangstefer (UTC) - 6-2, 7-5
3. Giorgia Romeo (UAB) def. Shaina Singh (UTC) - 6-3, 6-2
4. Rachel Cohen (UAB) def. Grace Robinette (UTC) - 6-4, 6-3
5. Charlotte Bossy (UTC) def. Brittany DeFelice (UAB) - 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (8-6)
6. Jenny Cape (UAB) def. Jennifer Taylor (UTC) - 6-2, 6-4