The Lipscomb women’s tennis team kicked off their much-anticipated season Friday evening at the Whitworth Tennis Center against University of Alabama at Birmingham.
The Lady Bisons fought hard in an epic clash between the Blazers, but they eventually went down 4-3. Still, with only six girls competing for Lipscomb due to injuries, the team showed no hesitance on the court.
Bison’s Vika Dzyuba and Denise Buberl edged out UAB’s Parbis Kianoush and Marlene Herrman with a 6-4 win. Maddie Brooks and Thabile Tshatedi also had no trouble dispatching their opponents Hana Sisirak and Reghan Lynch 6-3, despite Hannah Gamage and Jaclyn Findlay’s losing 6-4.
The Lady Bisons continued with the momentum into the singles rubber with Brooks and Tshatedi winning both their matches giving Lipscomb a 3-0 lead.
The rest of the singles matches did not go as smoothly with Buberl and Gamage both losing in 6-4, 6-1 and 6-3, 6-2.
Lipscomb’s number one player Dzyuba was forced to retire against her opponent at 7-6, 2-6, 3-4, leaving the score at three matches a piece.
It was all up to Findlay as the match fell on her shoulders who was ousted 1-6, 7-5, and 6-4 against the Blazers Natalie Voss.
“We had a very good chance of winning,” sophmore Findlay said. “We got a little unlucky, but we all fought really hard. It was close, and I’ll be back ready for our next match.”
The team’s loss will be the least of Head Coach Jamie Aid’s worries as they prepare for Sunday’s match against MTSU.
The Lady Bisons will travel to Murfreesboro on Sunday at 12 p.m. to take on MTSU’s Blue Raiders.
Photo courtesy of Lipscomb Athletics