IRVINE, Calif. --- UCI got a much-needed, confidence-boosting win over Wyoming (3-3), 4-3, after trailing late in the match at Anteater Tennis Stadium on Saturday.
UCI (3-3) was coming off an upset loss to unranked Hawai'I in which the 'Eaters had won the doubles point. Wyoming had just pulled off a 4-3 upset of its own over conference rival and 39th-ranked Long Beach State.
Franziska Goettsching (Heitersheim, Germany / Faust Gymnasium) and Kristina Smith (Laguna Niguel / Dana Hills HS) disposed of their opponent quickly, 8-1, to give UCI the edge. Ali Facey (Cameron Park / Ponderosa HS) and Stephanie Hammel (Placentia / Valencia HS) made a valiant comeback attempt, but were stopped short, 8-6. Courtney Byron (Scottsdale, Ariz. / Notre Dame Prep HS) and Hannah Holladay (La Jolla / La Jolla HS) had a 6-3 advantage in their set, but Wyoming regained the lead at 7-6. UCI would return to tie it, 8-8, before Wyoming took the set and the doubles point in a 7-5 tiebreaker.
UCI started off well winning four of its six opening sets, exactly what it needed to pull out the match. Byron and A. Facey each dropped their second sets putting Wyoming up at the moment, 3-0. The rest of the squad took over after each winning their first sets. Smith and Kat Facey (Cameron Park / Ponderosa HS) each took care of business bringing them back to down 3-2. Mamiit finally broke through for her first singles win of the season in straight sets tying the match up at 3-3.
Goettsching and Alexandra Kovacs tussled back and forth in their second set, but Goettsching pulled away at the end for the 6-3 set win bringing UCI back from down 3-0 for the 4-3 win over the 75th-ranked Cowgirls.
UCI will finish out its homestand on Thurs. Feb. 16th against the 27th-ranked Waves of Pepperdine at Anteater Tennis Stadium; a 1:00 p.m. start.
#56 UC Irvine 4, # 75 Wyoming 3
February 11, 2012 – Anteater Tennis Stadium (Irvine, Calif.)
Doubles
No. 1 – Synkova/Kovacs (WYO) def. Byron/Holladay (UCI) – 9-8 (5)
No. 2 – Goettsching/Smith (UCI) def. Gecheva/Nemcova (WYO) – 8-1
No. 3 – Parizher/Zhelyazkova (WYO) def. A. Facey/Hammel (UCI) – 8-6
Wyoming wins doubles point
Order of finish: 2, 3, 1
Singles
No. 1 – Simona Synkova (WYO) def. Courtney Byron (UCI) – 6-1, 6-3
No. 2 – Kristina Smith (UCI) def. Sasa Nemcova (WYO) – 6-2, 6-0
No. 3 – Franziska Goettsching (UCI) def. Alexandra Kovacs (WYO) – 6-4, 6-3
No. 4 – Kat Facey (UCI) def. Jessica Parizher (WYO) – 6-4, 6-1
No. 5 – Silviya Zhelyazkova (WYO) def. Ali Facey (UCI) – 6-1, 6-3
No. 6 – Marivick Mamiit (UCI) def. Christa Gecheva (WYO) – 6-3, 6-1
Order of finish: 1, 5, 2, 4, 6, 3
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