WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- No. 5-ranked Midwestern State outlasted No. 19-ranked Lubbock Christian, 4-3, in a strenuous dual match to open the conference campaign at MSU Tennis Center on Wednesday afternoon.

Midwestern State improved to 8-3 for the season and is 1-0 in the Lone Star Conference. Lubbock Christian is 12-2 overall and 0-1 in the LSC.

Skylar Minns, a senior from Aransas Pass, Texas, clinched the victory for the Mustangs with a valiant, 6-3, 7-5 win over Maya Adler at No. 5 singles. Minns trailed 5-4 in the second set but rallied for her fifth win of the season and improved to 5-5 in singles matches.

The Mustangs opened the day by sweeping the three doubles matches.

Jessica Binzari and Anda Ghinga improved to 6-3 at No. 1 doubles and are ranked No. 33 in the nation among NCAA Division II duos. The Romanian duo defeated Anastasiia Opolska and Oshini Herath, 6-4.

Hannah Yip and Sarah Mazaraki dispatched Andrea De Bernardo and Michelle Trochez, 6-3, at No. 2 doubles, and Sofia Giraldo teamed with Sydney Williams to defeat Axelle Jacquemin and Anastas. Khrustaleva, 6-4, at No. 3 doubles.

Giraldo gave the Mustangs a 2-0 lead in the dual match with a routine 6-2, 6-1 victory over Trochez at No. 4 singles. The freshman from Colombia is 7-3 in singles matches this season.

Ghinga extended her season-opening winning streak in singles to 11 matches with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 triumph over Jacquemin. Ghinga is 4-0 in three-set matches this season and three of her last four wins in the No. 3 position have come in extended matches.

Lubbock Christian mounted a rally as 31st-ranked De Bernardo won a first-set tiebreak over No. 32-ranked Yip at No. 2 singles and prevailed in straight sets, 7-6 (6), 6-2.

Yip and Mazaraki won their fifth-straight doubles match and improved to 7-1, but Yip has lost her last three singles matches and fell to 6-5 for the season.

Anastas Khrustaleva earned the point at No. 1 singles for the Lady Chaps, outslugging No. 38-ranked Binzari, 6-3, 7-5. The junior transfer from Coker has lost her last four battles in singles and is 3-6 in the No. 1 spot for MSU.

Opolska withstood the challenge from Micaela McSpadden at No. 6 singles and pulled Lubbock Christian even with the Stang Gang, defeating the junior for Oologah, Oklahoma, 6-4, 6-2. McSpadden is 3-4 this season and has lost her last three singles matches for the Mustangs.

Midwestern State is on the road to face St. Mary's on Friday. First serve at Rohrbach Stadium Tennis Complex in San Antonio is scheduled for 2 p.m.

 

--MSUMustangs.com--

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