Feb 14, 2019
URBANA, Illinois – The Texas A&M women's tennis team nearly rallied from a 3-0 deficit, but fell 4-3 at Illinois Thursday evening at the Atkins Tennis Center. After the setback the Aggies are 8-1 on the season while the Illini improved to 3-3 this spring.
"We played with some incredible heart and fight and we just came up a fraction short of a miraculous comeback," Texas A&M head coach Mark Weaver said. "We definitely did not play our best tennis in the doubles and at a few positions in the singles, but Renee [McBryde] had a growing showing which was likely her best tennis to date and Katya [Townsend] had a great win at number one. These types of matches are the ones that we can really learn from and help us later on down the road in the SEC season."
The Maroon & White dropped the doubles point for just the second time this season to open the match. A&M freshmen Katya Townsend and Renee McBryde raced out to a 6-0 win on court two over the Illinois duo of Jaclyn Switkes and Emilee Duong. The Illini earned a 6-2 win by Asuka Kawai and Mia Rabinowitz on court three over Riley McQuaid and Dorthea Faa-Hviding. The doubles point was clinched by the Illinois pair of Daniele Pedraza Novak and Sasha Belaya on court one over A&M's Jayci Goldsmith and Tatiana Makarova, ranked No. 54 nationally.
Illinois mounted a 3-0 lead after claiming straight set wins by Pedraza Novak over A&M freshman Lucia Quiterio on court six and Mia Rabinowitz on court three over No. 109 Makarova.
Despite the deficit, the Aggies mounted a comeback to put the match in question, forcing third sets on three courts and claiming a straight set win by McBryde on court four over Illinois' Emilee Duong. A&M's Townsend pulled the Aggies within 3-2 as she topped Kawai on court one, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.
The final two matches were on serve in the third set, but the home team picked up momentum and claimed the final point necessary to clinch the victory. Switkes topped A&M's Goldsmith, ranked No. 89 nationally on court two 7-6, 4-6, 7-5 to deliver the fourth point for the Illini. A&M sophomore McQuaid outlasted Belaya 6-7, 7-5, 7-6 on court five to earn the Aggies third point of the night.