ABILENE, Texas – In a clash of the American Southwest Conference women's tennis titans, McMurry University lost a 5-4 decision to Hardin-Simmons University, in a match that came down to the last match on the court to decide matters at the Streich Tennis Center. The loss snapped a 13-match winning streak by the War Hawks (13-5, 4-1 ASC West), while the Cowgirls improved to 13-5 (5-0 ASC West).
With the winner guaranteed no less than a share of the ASC West crown, McMurry grabbed a 2-1 lead after completion of doubles play. The No. 2 doubles team of seniors
Chloe Patterson and
Gabby Camacho improved their pairs record to 10-1 on the year with an 8-1 thrashing of Kyra Mobley and Jasmine Briant of HSU.
The Cowgirls took No. 3 doubles, with Jenna and Hanna Smith topping McM's
Zayra Gomez and
Neah Garza. 8-4. That left just the No. 1 doubles teams on the courts, with the War Hawks'
Bree Brosig and
Samantha Ritz notching their team-leading 11th (11-5) win as a tandem, 9-7, over Michaela Ellison and Shayne Cook.
HSU made the team score 3-2 with a win at No. 4 singles the first off the courts. But at No. 2 singles, McM's Brosig worked a 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 win over Jenna Smith to get the third point for her team.
McMurry got its fourth point on the board in exciting fashion at No. 1 singles, where the War Hawks' Patterson took on Cook in a battle of former teammates (Cook attended McM as a freshman and played No. 2 singles and Patterson was the No. 4 singles). Since transferring to HSU, Cook had a 2-0 record in head-to-head dual matches versus Cook, both wins coming in three sets.
From the outset, it became clear that Patterson had the book on Cook in this match-up, however, winning the first set, 6-2. In set two, the two seniors battled and were deadlocked 6-6, before Patterson won the tiebreaker, 7-3, and a 7-6 set victory to win in straight sets.
A pivotal match came at No. 3 singles. McM's Ritz put her 14-match win skein on the line against Ellison. Ritz looked in control in set one, winning, 6-1. But Ellison bounced back to take the next two sets 6-4, 6-2.
With the team score standing at 4-3 in favor of McM, that left just the Nos. 5 and 6 bouts on the court.
At No. 5, HSU's Briant and McM's Camacho slugged it out with several long rallies. Camacho put set one in her win column, 6-3. In set two, Briant survived to take a 7-5 win and then went on to win set three, 6-1.
In No. 6 singles, HSU's Mobley won in straight sets, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 over the War Hawks
Symphony Munoz, as the Cowgirls earned the 5-4 win in the team score.
But McMurry head coach
Mark Hathorn believes his team has no reason to hang their head.
"We played a very good and well-coached team," Hathorn said of the Cowgirls. "I have to hand it to HSU and Coach Williford. They wouldn't go away when we had the lead.
"My seniors really played well today in singles and doubles. I am proud of Chloe, Bree and Gabby and the hard work they have put in over their careers. It was just a great college tennis atmosphere and, even though we lost, it was fun."
