Women's tennis takes first conference loss at Louisiana

The Troy women’s tennis team concluded this season’s road slate with a 4-0 loss against Louisiana. With one match before the conference tournament, the Trojans are 11-7 overall with a 5-1 conference record. Louisiana’s defeat of Troy marks the end of the Trojans’ seven-match win streak as well as their quest to go undefeated against conference opponents.  

The day began with the team of Angelique Berrat and Nina Krecklenberg handing Valeriia Avdeeva and Maria Guirguis their fourth loss of the season, 6-2. Louisiana secured the doubles point when Ana Martinez Vaquero and Safia Zenbi topped Veena Nazar and Alexia Zarate, 6-4. While Troy ultimately dropped the doubles point, the duo of Hiba Heni and Leena Metwally earned their second win together by defeatingMartina Della Gora and Rocio Navarro, 6-2. 

In singles play, Heni was the first Trojan to fall as she was swiftly defeated by Martina Della Gora, 6-0 in both sets. Emilia Namyslo was next, as she dropped her match against Rocio Navarro, 6-2 followed by 6-1. With the score 3-0 in favor of the Ragin Cajuns, Guirguis suffered her first defeat of the season, falling to Angelique Berrat in three sets, 1-6, 6-1, 6-2 – Guirguis was 14-0 prior to this defeat.  

Avdeeva took set one and held a 4-1 lead in set three of her match that was unfinished against Safia Zenbi – Avdeeva is 6-2 in her last 10 matches. Metwally claimed victory in set two and was leading in set three of her unfinished battle with Marilou Bressan. Zarate stood tall in set one of her match 7-6 (5) and took a 1-0 lead in set two against Ana Martinez Vaquero in a match that went unfinished. 

Troy will close out the regular season against Georgia Southern on Saturday, April 18 at the Lunsford Tennis Complex. The Trojans will then travel to the Rome Tennis Complex located in Rome, Georgia, to take part in the Sun Belt Tournament. Here, Troy will look to secure its first-ever Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship, and its first conference title since winning the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament in 2004.