TCU
Air Force
TCU Opens MWC Play with Win Over Air Force
4/2/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
April 2, 2010
FORT WORTH, Texas - The TCU women's tennis team opened the Mountain West Conference schedule with a 6-1 win over Air Force Friday in the indoor facility at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center. The Horned Frogs are now 40-4 against the MWC since joining the league in 2005-06.
"We played a nice match against an Air Force team that has gotten better and better," TCU head coach Jefferson Hammond. "I think we came out and competed at all positions. It is always nice to play Air Force because their young women are a great representation of what this country is about and we are always honored to play a match against them."
TCU stormed through the doubles portion of the match, sweeping the Falcons on all three courts. The Frogs' Idunn Hertzberg and Gaby Mastromarino dominated from the third flight, 8-1, while TCU's Maria Babanova and Nina Munch-Soegaard clinched the early 1-0 lead with an 8-2 decision from the middle court. The No. 40 pairing of Kayla Duncan and Katariina Tuohimaa completed the sweep with an 8-2 score from the top court.
The Purple and White kept rolling to start singles play, as No. 63 Munch-Soegaard toppled the Falcon's Christen Monreal from the top court, 6-4, 6-0. The win moved the Amarillo, Texas native past Lila Hirsch for the seventh-most career singles victories in TCU history. The 2009 ITA All-American now hold a career ledger of 87-31 (.745) and is three wins shy of catching former Frog Angela Bartzen (90) for sixth all-time.
Duncan earned her sixth win of the season from the No. 2 position in convincing fashion, 6-1, 6-2. With a 3-0 advantage in the match, Tuohimaa clinched the Frogs' first MWC win of the season with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Hannah Dake from the third flight.
After the match had been clinched, Babanova picked up TCU's first win of the season from the No. 5 court, taking down USAFA's Sarah Cassman in three sets, 2-6, 6-0, 6-0. Hertzberg snared the final point for the Frogs, earning a strong 7-5, 7-5 win over Christine Molina at the No. 4 slot.
TCU will return to the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center to host Wyoming at 10 a.m. on Saturday. The Frogs will honor lone senior Nina Munch-Soegaard with a pre-match presentation prior to doubles action.
TCU def. Air Force, 6-1
SINGLES
1. No. 63 Nina Munch-Soegaard (TCU) def. Christen Monreal (USAFA), 6-4, 6-0
2. No. 90 Kayla Duncan (TCU) def. Tahlia Smoke (USAFA), 6-1, 6-2
3. Katariina Tuohimaa (TCU) def. Hannah Dake, 6-4, 6-3
4. Idunn Hertzberg (TCU) def. Christine Molina, 7-5, 7-5
5. Maria Babanova (TCU) def. Sarah Cassman, 2-6, 6-0, 6-0
6. Melissa Cecil (USAFA) def. Gaby Mastromarino (TCU), 7-5, 6-1
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3*, 5, 4, 6
DOUBLES
1. No. 40 Duncan/Tuohimaa (TCU) def. Dake/Monreal (USAFA), 8-2
2. Babanova/Munch-Soegaard (TCU) def. Chermel/Smoke (USAFA), 8-2
3. Hertzberg/Mastromarino (TCU) def Cecil/Molina (USAFA), 8-1
Order of Finish: 3, 2*, 1
Players Mentioned
