Tennis Falls 5-2 to North Texas

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LAFAYETTE, La. -- The ULM tennis team dropped a hard-fought 5-2 decision to defending Sun Belt champion North Texas on Saturday at the Cajun Courts. In a match featuring two of the top teams in the conference, the Mean Green (9-4, 3-0 SBC) won the doubles point and outlasted the Warhawks (10-2, 2-1 SBC) with a pair of three-set wins in singles action.

The marathon match lasted four hours and 30 minutes.

ULM's Medy Blankvoort and Justyna Krol earned an 8-1 victory over Danè Joubert and llona Serchenko at No. 3 doubles, but Sophie Rufyikiri and Ema Turudija fell, 8-3, to Valentina Skarkova and Barbora Vykydalova at the No. 1 position and Silvia Tumova and Petra Horakova lost, 8-3, to Kseniya Bardabush and Franziska Sprinkmeyer at the No. 2 position. It marked the first time the Warhawks have dropped the doubles point this season.

Horakova rolled past Agustina Valenzuela, 6-1, 6-2, at No. 6 singles to tie the match at 1-all. North Texas regained the lead as Serchenko defeated Turudija, 7-5, 6-2, at No. 5 singles.

The Mean Green took a 3-1 advantage after Starkova knocked off Tumova, 6-4, 6-4, at No. 3 singles and clinched the match as Vykydalova defeated Blankvoort, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, at No. 2 singles  -- just Blankvoort's second loss of the season.

ULM picked up its second point of the match as Krol won, 5-7, 6-2, 6-3, over Sprinkmeyer at No. 4 singles.

Bardabush defeated Rufyikiri, 6-2, 6-7, 6-2, at No. 1 singles in the final match to be completed.

The Warhawks look to get back on track on Friday, March 29, against Middle Tennessee in Birmingham, Ala.

North Texas 5, ULM 2

Doubles

1.  Valentina Starkova/Barbora Vykydalova (UNT) def. Sophie Rufyikiri/Ema Turudija (ULM), 8-3
2.  Kseniya Bardabush/Franziska Sprinkmeyer (UNT) def. Silvia Tumova/Petra Horakova (ULM), 8-3
3.  Justyna Krol/Medy Blankvoort (ULM) def. Danè Joubert/llona Serchenko (UNT), 8-1

Singles

1. Kseniya Bardabush (UNT) def. Sophie Rufyikiri (ULM), 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-2
2. Barbora Vykydalova (UNT) def. Medy Blankvoort (ULM),  6-1, 4-6, 6-3
3. Valentna Starkova (UNT) def. Silvia Tumova (ULM), 6-4, 6-4
4. Justyna Krol (ULM) def. Franziska Sprinkmeyer (UNT), 5-7, 6-2, 6-3
5. Ilona Serchenko (UNT) def. Ema Turudija (ULM), 7-5, 6-2
6. Petra Horakova (ULM) def. Agustina Valenzuela (UNT), 6-1, 6-2