Liberty University
North Alabama
Liberty Opens ASUN Play With 5-2 Triumph at North Alabama
3/19/2021 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Liberty began its 2021 ASUN Conference slate with a 5-2 triumph at North Alabama on Friday at the UNA Varsity Tennis Courts.
Liberty improves to 11-3 overall and 1-0 in the ASUN. North Alabama falls to 4-9 and 0-1 in league play.
Liberty 5, North Alabama 2
Singles Competition
1. Payton Andrews (UNA) def. Alexandra Almborg (LIBERTYW) 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-6)
2. Tiffany Nguyen (LIBERTYW) def. Sydney Flesch (UNA) 6-2, 6-4
3. Esther Lovato (LIBERTYW) def. Megan Humphreys (UNA) 6-3, 6-2
4. Micaela Ode Mitre (LIBERTYW) def. Nina Linke (UNA) 6-0, 6-4
5. Kalais Going (UNA) def. Grace Hashiguchi (LIBERTYW) 3-6, 6-2, 1-0 (11-9)
6. Eloise Saraty (LIBERTYW) def. Lee-Taylor Bishop (UNA) 6-4, 6-1
Doubles Competition
1. Alexandra Almborg/Eloise Saraty (LIBERTYW) def. Payton Andrews/Megan Humphreys (UNA) 6-2
2. Tiffany Nguyen/Micaela Ode Mitre (LIBERTYW) def. Sydney Flesch/Kalais Going (UNA) 6-3
3. Nina Linke/Lee-Taylor Bishop (UNA) vs. Esther Lovato/Grace Hashiguchi (LIBERTYW) 2-5, unfinished
Liberty 11-3, 1-0 ASUN
North Alabama 4-9, 0-1 ASUN
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (6,4,3,2,5,1)
T-2:30
How It Happened
• Liberty secured the doubles point with victories on courts one and two. The Lady Flames' top unit, Alexandra Almborg and Eloise Saraty, defeated Payton Andrews and Megan Humphreys 6-2.
• Liberty's No. 2 unit, Tiffany Nguyen and Micaela Ode Mitre, picked up their team-best 10th doubles triumph of the season, 6-3 over Sydney Flesch and Kalais Going.
• Saraty improved to 6-1 in singles with her two-set decision over Lee-Taylor Bishop (6-4, 6-1) in the No. 6 slot. Saraty's triumph made it 2-0 Lady Flames.
• After winning the opening set 6-0 over Nina Linke, Liberty's Ode Mitre trailed 4-3 in the second set. The second-year Lady Flame captured the next three games for a 6-0, 6-4 win and a 3-0 Liberty lead in the match.
• Liberty's Esther Lovato earned the match-clinching fourth point for the visitors. The second-year freshman bolstered her spring record to a perfect 13-0, as she won in straight sets (6-3, 6-2) versus Humphreys in the No. 3 singles match. Lovato extended her singles winning streak to 18 matches, dating back to the 2020 campaign.
• Tiffany Nguyen provided the Lady Flames a 5-0 lead when she topped Flesch (UNA) 6-2, 6-4 at No. 2 singles.
• The Lions won the final two matches (No. 5 and No. 1 singles), both in third-set 10-point tiebreakers. On court five, Going overcame a one set deficit to best Grace Hashiguchi of Liberty 3-6, 6-2, 1-0 (9). Andrews (UNA) also trailed Almborg (Liberty) by a set on court one before bouncing back to win 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (6).
• Today's Liberty victory marked its first ASUN win since April 13, 2019, a span of 706 days. The Lady Flames did not compete in any conference matches in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Liberty, Stetson and North Florida are all 1-0 in ASUN Conference play after Friday victories.
Next Up
• Liberty will be back in action on Sunday at Lipscomb (5-6, 0-0 ASUN). First serve is scheduled for 11 a.m. Eastern (10 a.m. Central) at the Huston-Marsh-Griffith Tennis Center in Nashville, Tenn.
• Liberty is 2-0 all-time against Lipscomb. The two teams last met in 2019, a 4-3 victory for the Lady Flames in Lynchburg.
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,2
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
6,4,3,2,5,1