Liberty University
Lipscomb
Lady Flames Top Bisons 4-3 at Indoor Tennis Center
4/1/2021 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Liberty stayed unbeaten in the ASUN and at home with a 4-3 decision over Lipscomb, Thursday at the Liberty Indoor Tennis Center.
The Lady Flames' second victory over the Bisons in the last 12 days bolsters their record to 14-4 overall and 4-0 in the ASUN. Liberty also improves to 6-0 at home in 2021, including a 4-0 mark at the new Liberty Indoor Tennis Center.
Lipscomb slips to 7-8 overall and 2-2 in league play.
Thoughts From Head Coach Jeff Maren
"Lipscomb pushed us to play at a high level mentally, and thankfully we rose to the occasion. All courts, whether we won or lost, played with great focus, belief in each other and maximum effort. I'm really proud of how unified we have been this year, considering the adversity we've faced. We've had a lot of fun growing together!"
Liberty 4, Lipscomb 3
Singles Competition
1. Kate Popova (LIP-W) def. Alexandra Almborg (LIBERTYW) 6-3, 6-2
2. Tiffany Nguyen (LIBERTYW) def. Emma Zakordoniec (LIP-W) 6-2, 6-1
3. Esther Lovato (LIBERTYW) def. Sasha Dobranos (LIP-W) 6-1, 6-2
4. Micaela Ode Mitre (LIBERTYW) def. Anja Trbeznik (LIP-W) 6-2, 7-6 (7-2)
5. Liza Diachenko (LIP-W) def. Eloise Saraty (LIBERTYW) 1-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3
6. Maddox Bandy (LIP-W) def. Grace Hashiguchi (LIBERTYW) 6-2, 6-3
Doubles Competition
1. Alexandra Almborg/Eloise Saraty (LIBERTYW) vs. Kate Popova/Anja Trbeznik (LIP-W) 4-5, unfinished
2. Tiffany Nguyen/Micaela Ode Mitre (LIBERTYW) def. Liza Diachenko/Sasha Dobranos (LIP-W) 6-2
3. Grace Hashiguchi/Esther Lovato (LIBERTYW) def. Maddox Bandy/Perri Howard (LIP-W) 6-1
Lipscomb 7-8, 2-2 ASUN
Liberty 14-4, 4-0 ASUN
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (3,1,2,6,4,5)
Official: Zimmerman/Williams T-2:55
How It Happened
• Liberty won the doubles point and picked up singles victories in the No. 3, No. 2, and No. 4 matches to secure the two-match regular season sweep of Lipscomb.
• The Lady Flames' No. 3 doubles unit, Grace Hashiguchi and Esther Lovato, won 6-1 against Maddox Bandy and Perri Howard. At No. 2 doubles, Tiffany Nguyen and Micaela Ode Mitre of the Lady Flames defeated Liza Diachenko and Sasha Dobranos 6-2 to put the hosts on top 1-0. Nguyen and Ode Mitre sport a team-best 12-3 doubles record.
• Liberty's Lovato ran her spring record to a perfect 17-0 as she bested Dobranos 6-1, 6-2 in the No. 3 singles match for a 2-0 home lead. Lovato has now won 22 straight matches dating back to the 2020 campaign and is 35-5 overall in singles since joining the Lady Flames.
• Lipscomb's Popova (No. 1 singles) gave the Bisons on the scoreboard with their first point of the afternoon. She got past Almborg 6-3, 6-2.
• Nguyen (No. 2 singles) put the Lady Flames back ahead by two points, 3-1, with a straight-sets victory (6-2, 6-1) against her counterpart, Emma Zakordoniec.
• Bandy of the Bisons earned a two-set triumph (6-2, 6-3) versus Hashiguchi on court six. Lipscomb trailed 3-2 after Bandy's win. Shortly after that, Diachenko forced a third set with Saraty of Liberty on court five, and Trbeznik of Lipscomb came back to force a second set tiebreaker with Ode Mitre (No. 4 singles).
• Ode Mitre was at her best in the tiebreaker, winning it 7-2 for a 6-2, 7-6 (2) result and the match-clinching fourth point versus Trbeznik. The second-year Liberty player improved to 12-5 in singles, this season.
• Diachenko and Saraty battled in a third set in the No. 5 slot, with the Lipscomb junior ultimately prevailing in the match, 1-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3. Diachenko's victory settled the final score at 4-3 in favor of the Lady Flames.
• Liberty sits atop the ASUN North Division standings at 4-0, two games clear of Lipscomb (2-2) and North Alabama (2-2).
• Liberty has captured all four meetings with Lipscomb, with three of those coming in ASUN play.
Next Up
• The Lady Flames will welcome the North Alabama Lions (6-10, 2-2 ASUN) to town for a Saturday morning matchup at the Liberty Tennis Complex. First serve will take place at 10 a.m.
• Liberty defeated North Alabama 5-2, March 19 in Florence, Ala. The Lady Flames are 2-0 all-time against the Lions, with both matching coming in ASUN action.
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
3,2
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
3,1,2,6,4,5