The women’s tennis team‘s home winning streak came to an end Monday when No. 15 Fresno State beat the Horned Frogs 4-3.
TCU is 4-1 this season at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center, compiling a 30-5 home record over the past three seasons, including a 7-0 win over No. 73 Texas Tech on Saturday.
Monday’s loss could have gone either way, head coach Jefferson Hammond said.
Fresno State earned the point for doubles play, sweeping TCU 3-0.
The No. 1-ranked Fresno doubles team, juniors Tinesta Rowe and Melanie Gloria, beat the No. 11 TCU team, juniors Macall Harkins and Anna Sydorska, 8-4, marking their first loss this season.
Harkins and Sydorska were coming off an 8-3 weekend victory over Texas Tech’s No. 1 doubles team of Junior Samantha van der Drift and freshman Kelsy Garland.
The singles matches were 3-3 with one game still in action, Harkins versus Fresno sophomore Renata Kucerkova.
Harkins saved nine match points before falling 12-10 in the third-set tiebreaker.
“Macall fought to the bitter end and did everything right,” Hammond said. “The Fresno State player made some great shots and raised her level and ended up winning by the tightest of margins.”
TCU freshman Katariina Tuohimaa won her fourth consecutive match, defeating Jacqueline Haskett by 6-1, 6-0 and Texas Tech sophomore Kerryn Potgieter 6-3, 6-2 on Saturday.
Sophomore Nina Munch-Soegaard won against Fresno State with an impressive 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory over No. 11 junior Melanie Gloria.
Freshman Idunn Hertzberg also won her match 6-2, 6-3 over sophomore Vanessa Heroux.
“To say that I am very proud of this team is an understatement, because I’ve never been prouder,” Hammond said.
The Horned Frogs and Bulldogs have met seven times and Fresno holds a 4-3 advantage. TCU fell to Fresno 4-3 last season in California.
Despite a tough start with eight of its 11 non-conference opponents appearing in the preseason top 30, the Horned Frogs are 5-3.
TCU moved up two spots to No. 31 after an upset win over No. 16 William & Mary on Feb. 24.
The Horned Frogs play again Thursday against No. 19 Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C.
