WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- Midwestern State won its home opener in dramatic fashion on a chilly Wednesday afternoon at MSU Tennis Center. The Mustangs took the final two singles matches in three sets to defeat Findlay (Ohio), 4-3.

With the Stang Gang trailing in the dual match 3-2, Junior Hannah Yip was playing No. 2 singles and trailing Elina Ivanova by a set and 4-6 in a second-set tiebreak. Yip reeled off four straight points to force a decisive third set and prevailed, 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, to pull even with the Oilers.

The dual would be decided by the outcome of the No. 5 singles match.

Lidia Laskova of Findlay won the first set in a tiebreak. Junior Micaela McSpadden took the next two sets and won the conclusive match for Midwestern State, 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-4.

McSpadden was making her first singles appearance of the season and Yip improved to 2-0 in singles as the Mustangs improved to 2-0 as a team to start the season.

Junior Anda Ghinga was dominant at No. 3 singles for the second straight dual, dispatching Valentina Rivero, 6-0, 6-2, to draw MSU even after Findlay won the doubles point.

Senior Skylar Minns handled Emily Hadler at No. 4 singles, 6-4, 6-3, to push MSU in front, 2-1. Minns improved to 2-0 and has won four consecutive sets in singles after dropping her first set of the season 1-6 to Milana Voloshyn of Southeastern Oklahoma State.

Jessica Binzari played No. 1 singles for the Mustangs and lost a tight match against Anamarija Kovacevic of the Oilers, 7-5, 7-5. Binzari is 1-1 to start the season for Midwestern State after transferring from Coker.

Findlay took a 3-2 lead in the dual when Zuzanna Krygier upended Sydney Williams in a see-saw affair at No. 6 singles, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

Williams played alongside Shreya Chakraborty at No. 1 doubles, but Ivanova and Madison Arquette prevailed, 6-2.

The Romanian pairing of Binzari and Ghinga crushed Hadler and Kovacevic at No. 2 doubles, 6-1.

McSpadden and freshman Sofia Giraldo were defeated at No. 3 doubles by Charlie Croteau and Krygier, 6-1, as the Oilers won the first point of the day.

Findlay is 6-4 and split their two duals in the region after defeating Southeastern Oklahoma State on Tuesday, 4-3.

Midwestern State improved to 2-0 and faces No. 3-ranked West Alabama in its first of three matches at the UT Tyler Invitational. The Mustangs meet the Tigers at 2:30 p.m. on Friday. MSU tangles with No. 19-ranked Auburn-Montgomery on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and wraps up its stay in Tyler with a dual match against West Florida at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.
 

--MSUMustangs.com--

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