Cajuns Come Up Just Short In Loss To Arkansas State

SAN MARCOS, TEXAS – Despite a great attempt at mounting a comeback, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns women's tennis team fell just short of finishing off the deed, losing to the Arkansas State Red Wolves, 4-3, at the Bobcat Tennis Complex.

The loss snaps a three-matching winning streak for the Cajuns and it drops their record to 14-8, while the win improves the Red Wolves record to 5-12.

Senior Abby Johnson, sophomore Marina Rodriguez Garcia and freshman Floriane Picaut all got wins in singles to help the Cajuns push things to the brink. Their wins helped the Cajuns storm back from dropping the doubles point, and things went down to the final match before the Cajuns fell just short of the completing the comeback.

HOW IT HAPPENED (Doubles): Louisiana would drop the doubles point, but they did start things off with a win when at No. 3, senior Kelly Drew and Garcia beat the Red Wolves pairing of Jeresic and Venter, 6-3. But the Cajuns would drop the next to matches to drop the point, starting with Picaut and fellow freshman Dana Radovanovic's loss to King and O'Brien at No. 2, 6-4.

The Red Wolves then locked up the doubles point with a win at No. 1, when Arkansas State's pair of Detlava and Masdevall-Masip, beat Johnson and senior Elena Sava, 7-5. The loss for Louisiana meant they entered singles play down 1-0.

HOW IT HAPPENED (Singles): The Cajuns bounced right back from the doubles point with a win at No. 5 when Johnson beat Shannon O'Brien in straight sets, 6-0, 6-2 and that win was followed up by Picaut who's straight set, 6-4, 6-3, win over Anita Detlava at No. 2 put the Cajuns on top 2-1.

Arkansas State then tied things up at 2-2, with a win at No. 3 when Sabina Jeresic beat Sava, 6-2, 6-2. But Louisiana wrestled the lead right back, when at No. 6 Garcia came back from dropping the first set, to beat Kristy Venter, 3-6, 7-5, 6-0. Garcia fought through the second-set to keep the match alive, and she made sure to pin down her opponent in the final set to win the match.

But Arkansas State would stick around, and they took the next two matches to snatch victory from the Cajuns. Louisiana didn't just lay down though, as both of the final two matches would go the full three-sets.

At No. 1, Drew dropped her match in three-sets to Shelby King, 5-7, 6-1, 6-4. The final set was a bit of a battle, and Drew stayed with King, but King won out over the final two points to take the match and tie things out at 3-3.

It then meant that everything came down to the match at No. 4 between Radovanovic and Arkansas State's Berta Masdevall-Masip. Radovanovic took the first set, but Masdevall-Masip pulled out the next two sets to come away with the clinching win for the Red Wolves, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2. It meant that the Cajuns valiant effort at a comeback would come up one match short as they took a 4-3 loss.

UP NEXT FOR THE CAJUNS: The Cajuns wrap up the weekend in San Marcos, with one final match against UT Arlington, on Saturday, Apr. 7, with that match starting at 2 p.m.

FOLLOWING THE RAGIN' CAJUNS: Follow the Cajuns on twitter @RaginCajunsWT for updates during the match, links to any live stats and the recap following the day's action.

Arkansas State 4, Louisiana 3
April 6, 2018 at San Marcos, Texas
(Bobcat Tennis Complex)
Doubles:
1.) Detlava/Masdevall-Masip (ASU) def. Johnson/Sava (LA) 7-5
2.) King/O'Brien (ASU) def. Picaut/Radovanovic (LA) 6-4
3.) Drew/Garcia (LA) def. Jeresic/Venter (ASU) 6-3
Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1*

Singles:
1.) Shelby King (ASU) def. Kelly Drew (LA) 5-7, 6-1, 6-4
2.) Floriane Picaut (LA) def. Anita Detlava (ASU) 6-4, 6-3
3.) Sabina Jeresic (ASU) def. Elena Sava (LA) 6-2, 6-2
4.) Berta Masdevall-Maspi (ASU) def. Dana Radovanovic (LA) 5-7, 6-3, 6-2
5.) Abby Johnson (LA) def. Shannon O'Brien (ASU) 6-0, 6-2
6.) Marina Rodriguez Garcia (LA) def. Kirsty Venter (ASU) 3-6, 7-5, 6-0
Order of Finish: 5, 2, 3, 6, 1, 4*

Team Records:
Louisiana: 14-8
Arkansas State: 5-12

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Cajuns Come Up Just Short In Loss To Arkansas State

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Team Stats

Players Mentioned

Kelly Drew

Abby Johnson

Floriane Picaut

Dana Radovanovic

Marina Rodriguez Garcia

Elena Sava