ABILENE, TX (05.06.21) - The regionally ranked UT Dallas women's tennis team is moving on the semifinals of the American Southwest Conference Women's Tennis Championship Tournament after a 5-0 win over Mary Hardin-Baylor Thursday afternoon at the Streitch Tennis Center on the campus of Hardin-Simmons.
The ASC East champion Comets (now 10-3) cruised to the quarterfinal victory over UMHB and will next face McMurry at 10:30 a.m. Friday with a berth into Saturday's 11 a.m. ASC title match on the line. Host and ASC West winner HSU will square off with East Texas Baptist in Friday's second semifinal at 2 p.m.
The Comets sailed through doubles play to take a quick 3-0 lead and added two straight-set singles victories to complete the shutout of the Cru.
Top-flighted doubles tandem of
Kathy Joseph and
Samantha Wong opened the duel with a 8-1 victory before Comets
Stephanie Joseph and
Svaksha Iyengar added an 8-1 win of their own at No. 3.
Saumya Vedula and
Rebecca Jackson completed the doubles sweep with an 8-3 win at No. 2.
Stephanie Joseph made the Comet lead 4-0 with a 6-0, 6-1, win at No. 6 singles over UMHB's Sydney Andersen before
Suzuka Nishino closed the match with at 6-0, 6-0, victory at No. 4 over Victoria Rendon.
Kathy Joseph (No. 1), Wong (No. 2), Vedula (No. 3) and Jackson (No. 5) were each up a set over their opponents with the match was halted.
The defending champion Comets have now advanced to the ASC semifinals for the 10th straight season and will be looking to move on the finals for the third straight championship. The ASC did not host a tournament in 2020 due to COVID-19.
