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Grand Canyon University Athletics
Saturday, April 1
Kansas City, MO
10 AM
Grand Canyon
4
vs
3
UT Rio Grande Valley
GCU remains undefeated in the WAC with 4-3 win over UTRGV
4/1/2017 3:43:00β―PM | Women's Tennis
KANSAS CITY β The GCU women's tennis team improved to 4-0 in the WAC on Saturday afternoon with a 4-3 win over UT Rio Grande Valley. The Lopes have now won five matches in a row and will clinch the WAC Championship with a win over Missouri-Kansas City tomorrow.
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"The women's team came up with another gritty win today," head coach Greg Prudhomme commented. "We knew it would be a tough match so it was good that we were mentally prepared for it. We got off to a good start by getting the doubles point and then had good momentum by winning four of the five first sets that were played [in singles competition] ."
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Doubles competition began with a GCU victory on Court 2 by Lana Rinaldi and Emilia Occhipinti. They won by a score of 6-4 and clinched the doubles point for the Lopes due to a forfeit on Court 3 by UTRGV. Tatum Prudhomme and Susan Baklini fell in a tiebreaker, losing 7-6, on Court 1.
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In singles play, the bottom of the lineup got it done for GCU. The Lopes had another advantage as UTRGV was forced to forfeit on Court 6, putting Grand Canyon up 2-0 as a team. On Court 5, Occhipinti quickly won her match by scores of 6-4, 6-3. She improves to 14-0 for the season.
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Occhipinti's doubles partner, Rinaldi, clinched the match for GCU. She battled with Darzyan of UTRGV on Court 4 for three sets, eventually winning by a score of 6-0, 6-7 (5), 6-1.
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"Lana [Rinaldi] was able to take charge of her third set early on and won a convincing 6-1 to finish off the match for us," Prudhomme added. "It was a great win and the girls are going to have another tough one tomorrow."
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The Lopes will play for the WAC Championship tomorrow afternoon against Missouri-Kansas City. UMKC is also undefeated in WAC play and has an overall record of 7-7 this season.
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Grand Canyon Women 4, UT Rio Grande Valley 3
Apr 01, 2017 at Kansas City, MO (Plaza)
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Singles competition
1. Anastasia Belyaeva (UTRGV) def. Tatum Prudhomme (WGCU) 6-1, 7-5
2. Dominique Esparza (UTRGV) def. Alexandra Petrzalkova (WGCU) 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (6-0)
3. Dominique Ibarra (UTRGV) def. Susan Baklini (WGCU) 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-1
4. Lana Rinaldi (WGCU) def. Marine Darzyan (UTRGV) 6-0, 6-7 (5), 6-1
5. Emilia Occhipinti (WGCU) def. Chloe Leclere (UTRGV) 6-4, 6-3
6. Marie Deleval (WGCU) def. No player (UTRGV) 1-0
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Doubles competition
1. Marine Darzyan/Dominique Ibarra (UTRGV) def. Tatum Prudhomme/Susan Baklini (WGCU) 7-6
2. Lana Rinaldi/Emilia Occhipinti (WGCU) def. Dominique Esparza/Anastasia Belyaeva (UTRGV) 6-4
3. Alexandra Petrzalkova/Celina Buhr (WGCU) def. No player/No player (UTRGV) 1-0
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Match Notes
UT Rio Grande Valley 3-14
Grand Canyon Women 10-5
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (6,5,1,3,2,4)
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"The women's team came up with another gritty win today," head coach Greg Prudhomme commented. "We knew it would be a tough match so it was good that we were mentally prepared for it. We got off to a good start by getting the doubles point and then had good momentum by winning four of the five first sets that were played [in singles competition] ."
Β
Doubles competition began with a GCU victory on Court 2 by Lana Rinaldi and Emilia Occhipinti. They won by a score of 6-4 and clinched the doubles point for the Lopes due to a forfeit on Court 3 by UTRGV. Tatum Prudhomme and Susan Baklini fell in a tiebreaker, losing 7-6, on Court 1.
Β
In singles play, the bottom of the lineup got it done for GCU. The Lopes had another advantage as UTRGV was forced to forfeit on Court 6, putting Grand Canyon up 2-0 as a team. On Court 5, Occhipinti quickly won her match by scores of 6-4, 6-3. She improves to 14-0 for the season.
Β
Occhipinti's doubles partner, Rinaldi, clinched the match for GCU. She battled with Darzyan of UTRGV on Court 4 for three sets, eventually winning by a score of 6-0, 6-7 (5), 6-1.
Β
"Lana [Rinaldi] was able to take charge of her third set early on and won a convincing 6-1 to finish off the match for us," Prudhomme added. "It was a great win and the girls are going to have another tough one tomorrow."
Β
The Lopes will play for the WAC Championship tomorrow afternoon against Missouri-Kansas City. UMKC is also undefeated in WAC play and has an overall record of 7-7 this season.
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Grand Canyon Women 4, UT Rio Grande Valley 3
Apr 01, 2017 at Kansas City, MO (Plaza)
Β
Singles competition
1. Anastasia Belyaeva (UTRGV) def. Tatum Prudhomme (WGCU) 6-1, 7-5
2. Dominique Esparza (UTRGV) def. Alexandra Petrzalkova (WGCU) 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (6-0)
3. Dominique Ibarra (UTRGV) def. Susan Baklini (WGCU) 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-1
4. Lana Rinaldi (WGCU) def. Marine Darzyan (UTRGV) 6-0, 6-7 (5), 6-1
5. Emilia Occhipinti (WGCU) def. Chloe Leclere (UTRGV) 6-4, 6-3
6. Marie Deleval (WGCU) def. No player (UTRGV) 1-0
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Doubles competition
1. Marine Darzyan/Dominique Ibarra (UTRGV) def. Tatum Prudhomme/Susan Baklini (WGCU) 7-6
2. Lana Rinaldi/Emilia Occhipinti (WGCU) def. Dominique Esparza/Anastasia Belyaeva (UTRGV) 6-4
3. Alexandra Petrzalkova/Celina Buhr (WGCU) def. No player/No player (UTRGV) 1-0
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Match Notes
UT Rio Grande Valley 3-14
Grand Canyon Women 10-5
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (6,5,1,3,2,4)
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Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
Monday, September 14
Thursday, April 23
Monday, April 21