University of Missouri
UMKC
Tigers Hop Over Kangaroos, 7-0
2/1/2008 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
Feb. 1, 2008
Columbia, Mo. - The University of Missouri women's tennis team (2-1, 0-0 Big 12) defeated the University of Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos (0-1, 0-0 Summit League), 7-0, Friday afternoon inside the Green Tennis Center. The Tigers won all nine matches on the day to win their second match in a row.
Today's match was not on Mizzou's schedule until UMKC hired Head Coach Kendell Hale. Hale and Mizzou Head Coach Blake Starkey are good friends. They played against each other in high school, played on the same junior college team, and Hale was even in Starkey's wedding.
So when he called Starkey asking to play in Columbia, he happily obliged.
"Kendell Hale is one of my best friends ... we go back so far, it was great to go up against him," Starkey said. "Clearly we were a lot stronger, but he just got there and I think he is going to do a really good job in time. But absolutely, probably one of my best friends, its always good to see him."
The Kangaroos came into Columbia looking for their first dual match win since 2003, and their No. 1 doubles team gave the top Tiger duo a tough test. Mizzou's 43rd-ranked pair, Chrissy Svetlic and Mallory Weber, jumped out to a 4-1 lead, before UMKC's Chelsea Horner and Emily Lindsay won three of the next four games to bring the duo to within one at 5-4. Weber took control in the next game, serving two aces to go up 6-4. The duo never looked back from there, taking a 8-4 win, their second of the season.
Also in doubles action, Kaitlin Dunham and Sofia Ayala defeated Caitlin Burke and Akshara Reddy, 8-2 at No. 2, and Kaitlyn Ritchie and Maureen Modesto downed Megan Titus and Holly Davis, 8-1.
Mizzou cruised in singles play, winning all six contests in straight sets. At No. 1, Weber earned her second win of the season at the top spot with a, 6-0, 6-1, win over Reddy. Newcomer Jessica Giuggioli defeated Horner, 6-0, 6-1, in the No. 2 spot. At No. 3, Modesto downed Lindsay, 6-0, 6-3. Svetlic defeated Burke, 6-0, 6-0, at No. 4 singles, and Ritchie and Ayala won their matches easily at No. 5 and No. 6, respectively.
The Tigers will be in action Sunday when they host Syracuse at noon. The Orange are 2-0 on the young season going into their match against Kansas State Saturday. Admission to Sunday's match is free and fans are encouraged to attend.
Missouri 7 UMKC 0
Friday, Feb. 1, 2008
Green Tennis Center-Indoor Courts
Columbia, Mo.
Singles
1. Mallory Weber (MU) def. Akshara Reddy (UMKC) 6-0, 6-1
2. Jessica Giuggioli (MU) def. Chelsea Horner (UMKC) 6-0, 6-1
3. Maureen Modesto (MU) def. Emily Lindsay (UMKC) 6-0, 6-3
4. Chrissy Svetlic (MU) def. Caitlin Burke (UMKC) 6-0, 6-0
5. Kaitlyn Ritchie (MU) def. Holly Davis (UMKC) 6-0, 6-1
6. Sofia Ayala (MU) def. Nicole Kofron (UMKC), 6-0, 6-0
Doubles
1. (43) Weber/Svetlic (MU) def. Horner/Lindsay (UMKC), 8-4
2. Dunham/Ayala (MU) def. Burke/Reddy (UMKC), 8-2
3. Ritchie/Modesto (MU) def. Titus/Davis (UMKC), 8-1
Players Mentioned
