"What an exciting and huge win for this program and these ladies," Head Coach Anuk Christiansz said.  "It just goes to show the girls have worked hard at every position."
 
"They wanted this match bad.  I know they had won 10 or 11 matches but winning a match in the tournament was a big deal for them and they were able to do that."
 
PVAMU (7-16) defeated the Lady Hornets 4-3 during the regular season with the match coming down to the doubles point which the Lady Panthers were able to win.  This time the Lady Hornets turned the table heading into singles play with a 1-0 lead after winning the doubles point.
 
With ASU (11-13) needing to win three singles matches, the Hornets got a quick break with Melissa Telfer pulling in a quick point when her opponent had to retire due to injury at three singles.
 
From there Brankica Orlovic made quick work at four singles with 6-2, 6-0 win to put ASU only one win away from the match.  PVAMU won their first and only point at two singles to cut the lead to 3-1.  With three matches still on the court, one and five singles went into a third set with the Lady Hornets up a set at six singles.
 
Irina Cvijovic was the final singles winner for ASU winning at five singles in come-from-behind fashion.  After falling 6-0 in the first set, she came back to win the second and third sets by identical 6-2 scores setting off a wild celebration from the rest of the team, the coaching staff and the men's team that was there cheering the Lady Hornets with each point.
 
"I told them if they won the doubles point they would have an excellent chance to win the match and that is what they did," Christiansz said.
 
The match started with the Lady Hornets winning two of the three doubles matches to pull in the point.  After falling 8-4 at one doubles, the three doubles team of Orlovic and Cvijovic pulled ASU even with an 8-5 win.
 
The point came down to two doubles where the ASU's team of Pauline Denis and Telfer seemed to be cruising with a 7-4 lead.  PVAMU rallied to even the game at seven sending it into a tiebreak.  It was all Telfer and Denis in the tiebreak with a 7-1 win and sending ASU into singles play with the 1-0 lead.
 
ASU will play second seeded Southern tomorrow (Saturday) in the semifinals at 9 a.m.
 
Alabama State University 4, Prairie View A&M 1
Apr 25, 2014 at New Orleans, La. (City Park Pepsi Tennis Center)

Singles competition

1. Arantxia Wijingaarde (ALSTW) vs. Taylor LeFridge (PVAMU) unfinished

2. Brittnay Harrell (PVAMU) def. Pauline Denis (ALSTW) 6-2, 6-4

3. Melissa Telfer (ALSTW) def. Chrtistine Gwodog (PVAMU) 6-1, 6-0, retired

4. Brankica Orlovic (ALSTW) def. Donielle Richard (PVAMU) 6-0, 6-2

5. Irina Cvijovic (ALSTW) def. Sydney Thomas (PVAMU) 0-6, 6-2, 6-2

6. Nathalie Lorenco (ALSTW) vs. Maria Lackey (PVAMU) unfinished

 

Doubles competition

1. Taylor LeFridge/Brittnay Harrell (PVAMU) def. Arantxia Wijingaarde/Nathalie Lorenco (ALSTW) 8-4

2. Pauline Denis/Melissa Telfer (ALSTW) def. Maria Lackey/Sydney Thomas (PVAMU) 8-7, 1-0

3. Irina Cvijovic/Brankica Orlovic (ALSTW) def. Payton Gore/Alexandria Young (PVAMU) 8-5

 

Match Notes

Prairie View A&M 7-16

Alabama State University 11-13

Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (3,4,2,5)

T-3:40 A-55