February 25, 2012

GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNCG won the doubles point and the first two singles matches but saw Richmond rally for four straight singles wins, including the decisive match in a tiebreaker in the third set, to take the 4-3 win over the Spartans at the Piedmont Indoor Tennis Center on Saturday.

Richmond's Melissa Kandinata recovered from a first-set loss to take a 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) win over Alex Whitehead at No. 2 singles to seal the win for the Spiders (5-1).

Wins at Nos. 1 and 2 doubles gave UNCG (3-3) the early 1-0 lead. Niltooli Wilkins and Lucy Dougherty teamed for an 8-3 win over Helen Cunningham and Alexandra Smyth at No. 1, while Devon Sutherland and Whitehead picked up an 8-5 win over Kandinata and Elizabeth Sims at No. 2.

Richmond's Nil Horoz and Joanna Matuszczyk downed Kayla Gammie and Annette Rios at No. 3, 8-6.

Rios put UNCG up 2-0 with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Cunningham at No. 3 singles, and Wilkins put UNCG on the brink of clinching the match with a 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 1.

Smyth got Richmond on the board with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Stephanie Falcon at No. 5, and Sims outlasted Dougherty in a second-set tiebreaker for the 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) win at No. 2.

Horoz pulled the Spiders even with a 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 win over Sutherland at No. 6 before Kandinata completed the rally.

Whitehead and Rios each played up a flight thanks to a back injury to UNCG's usual No. 2 singles player, Dilara Yurtkuran.

UNCG will now hit the road for a season-long eight-match road swing, starting with a contest at Longwood on March 1. That match is set for a 2:30 p.m. start.

AGATE
Richmond 4, UNCG 3

Singles competition
1. Niltooli Wilkins (UNCG) def. Joanna Matuszczyk (RICH) 6-3, 6-2
2. Melissa Kandinata (RICH) def. Alex Whitehead (UNCG) 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)
3. Annette Rios (UNCG) def. Helen Cunningham (RICH) 6-1, 6-4
4. Elizabeth Sims (RICH) def. Lucy Dougherty (UNCG) 6-2, 7-6 (7-4)
5. Alexandra Smyth (RICH) def. Stephanie Falcon (UNCG) 6-4, 6-3
6. Nil Horoz (RICH) def. Devon Sutherland (UNCG) 7-6 (7-3), 6-4

Doubles competition
1. Lucy Dougherty/Niltooli Wilkins (UNCG) def. Helen Cunningham/Alexandra Smyth (RICH) 8-3
2. Devon Sutherland/Alex Whitehead (UNCG) def. Melissa Kandinata/Elizabeth Sims (RICH) 8-5
3. Nil Horoz/Joanna Matuszczyk (RICH) def. Kayla Gammie/Annette Rios (UNCG) 8-6

Match Notes:
Richmond 5-1
UNCG 3-3
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (3,1,5,4,6,2)

- UNCG -