THE RUNDOWN
WICHITA FALLS, Texas – Midwestern State snapped a four-match losing streak to 21^st-ranked St. Mary's with another strong performance at the MSU Tennis Center. The Mustangs upended the Rattlers, 5-2, for their second-straight win over a top 25 opponent to start the season.
 
"We stayed calm, focused and positive this afternoon," MSU Texas coach Scott Linn said. "Our upperclassmen have seen some tough matches against St. Mary's over the years and they did a good job of grabbing momentum and running with it."
 
The Mustangs swept the Rattlers in doubles to capture the early momentum and grab a 1-0 lead.
 
The pair of Lea Cizeron and Juliette Mary bested Hannah Petersen and Ashley Penshorn, 6-2, at the No. 3 line to open the day just before the All-American and 22^nd-ranked tandem of Maddy Coffman and Ashley Ramirez clinched the early point with a 6-4 win over Ally Maciel and Alex Corder.
 
MSU Texas completed the doubles sweep as Bianca Duff and Greta Lazzarotto rattled off a 9-7 victory in a tiebreaker over Rani Goodland and Isabelle Bergman at the No. 2 line. Duff notched her 50^th career doubles win in the Maroon and Gold, improving to 50-6 in her three-year stint with the Mustangs.
 
Despite the early lead, momentum would swing in favor of the Rattlers as St. Mary's claimed first set wins on four of the six singles courts. With five of the six courts going to a decisive third set, the Mustangs claimed three-set winners at the Nos. 1, 3, 4 & 6 flights to clinch the match.
 
Cizeron overcame a 6-3 hole at the No. 3 line with back-to-back 6-3, 6-0 wins in the second and third sets to beat Goodland and stake the Maroon and Gold a 2-0 edge.
 
Coffman saved seven match points to erase a 5-1 deficit in the third set to upend 38^th-ranked Maciel at the top flight, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5.
 
A pair of wins by the Rattlers cut the MSU Texas lead to 3-2. Duff suffered a 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 loss to Corder at No. 2 and Penshorn ousted Ramirez, 6-1, 6-0, at No. 5.
 
After dropping a second-set tiebreaker, Lazzarotto rallied for a 6-2 win in the third to defeat Petersen and clinch the first win over St. Mary's since 2014.
 
Mary closed out the match with a 1-6, 7-5, 10-8 super-set tiebreaker decision against Bergman at the No. 6 flight.
 
BOX SCORE
#14 Midwestern State (2-0) def. #21 St. Mary's (4-2)
Thurs., Feb. 28, 2019 | 2 p.m.
Wichita Falls, Texas
MSU Tennis Center
 
Doubles
No. 1 – #22 Maddy Coffman/Ashley Ramirez (MSU) def. Ally Maciel/Alex Corder (StMU) 6-4
No. 2 – Bianca Duff/Greta Lazzarotto (MSU) def. Rani Goodland/Isabelle Bergman (StMU) 7-6 (7)
No. 3 – Lea Cizeron/Juliette Mary (MSU) def. Hannah Petersen/Ashley Penshorn (StMU) 6-2
 
Singles
No. 1 – #16 Maddy Coffman (MSU) def. #38 Ally Maciel (StMU) 6-4, 1-6, 7-5
No. 2 – Alex Corder (StMU) def. Bianca Duff (MSU) 7-5, 2-6, 6-4
No. 3 – Lea Cizeron (MSU) def. Rani Goodland (StMU) 3-6, 6-3, 6-0
No. 4 – Greta Lazzarotto (MSU) def. Hannah Petersen (StMU) 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-2
No. 5 – Ashley Penshorn (StMU) def. Ashley Ramirez (MSU) 6-1, 6-0
No. 6 – Juliette Mary (MSU) def. Isabelle Bergman (StMU) 1-6, 7-5, 10-8
 
Order of finish: Doubles (3, 1, 2); Singles (3, 1, 2, 5, 4, 6)

UP NEXT
MSU Texas hosts Colorado Mesa and Metro State on Friday, March 8. First serve in the doubleheader is set for 9 a.m.