Ole Miss Falls To South Carolina 5-2 In Columbia

COLUMBIA, S.C. The 35^th-ranked Ole Miss women’s tennis team won the doubles point against 40^th-ranked South Carolina, but the Gamecocks were too much in singles, taking a 5-2 win at the Maxcy Gregg Tennis Center Sunday.

The Rebels, who knocked off No.14 Florida on Friday, are now 9-6 overall and 2-4 in the SEC.  South Carolina improved to 10-7 overall and 3-3 in league play.

Ole Miss came into the match 9-1 when winning the doubles point, so things looked good when they claimed the first point against the Gamecocks.   After South Carolina took the No. 2 match 8-1, the Rebel duo of Gabriela Rangel and Abigail Guthrie won 8-5 at No.3 to improve to 12-2 on the season, 5-1 in conference.  Ole Miss then clinched the point when Kristi Boxx and Karen Nijssen finished off an 8-5 win on court one to move to 10-3, 4-2 in the SEC.

South Carolina came out strong to begin singles, taking the first set on five of the six courts.   Gamecock Dijana Stojic handed sophomore Laura van de Stroet a 6-2, 6-0 loss at No. 3 to put USC on the board.    Abigail Guthrie dropped her match to Miljana Jocic 6-2, 6-2 at No. 5 singles as USC went up 2-1. 

Freshman Gabriela Rangel, who clinched the 4-3 win over Florida on Friday, lost to senior Natasa Vuckovic 6-4, 6-4 at No. 4 putting the Gamecocks within one of the victory. 

Freshman Kristi Boxx, ranked No. 36 in the nation, got the Rebels back within one as she defeated 34^th-ranked Gira Schofield 7-6(4), 6-1 on court one. Boxx improved to 8-2 at No. 1 singles, including 4-2 in the SEC. 

South Carolina clinched the victory when Ana Marija Zubori rallied to win a close match against Karen Nijssen at No. 2 singles.  After Zubori won the first set 6-4, Nijssen raced out to a 5-2 lead in the second, before Zubori came back and went on to win a tiebreaker, 7-6(2). 

“We did a good job in doubles,” head coach Mark Beyers said.  “But I have to give USC credit for coming back strong in singles, winning five of the first sets.  We tried to turn it around, with Mimi winning her second set. Karen was up in the second.  This is life in the SEC; every match is tough. Obviously we wanted to win both matches, but we are pleased to get a split on the weekend.

"We’ve been competitive in all our matches, and we’ll have to try and come back and win on the road at Vanderbilt and Kentucky next weekend.  We are excited that we will definitely move up in the rankings with our win over Florida.”

DOUBLES

1. Boxx/Nijssen (OM) def. Vuckovic/Zubori (USC) 8-5

2. Jocic/Schofield (USC) def. van de Stroet/Renaudin (OM) 8-1

3. Rangel/Guthrie (OM) def. Mansour/Stojic (USC) 8-5

Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1

SINGLES

1. Kristi Boxx (OM) def. Gira Schofield (USC) 7-6(4), 6-1

2. Ana Marija Zubori (USC) def. Karen Nijssen (OM) 6-4, 7-6(2)

3. Dijana Stojic (USC) def. Laura van de Stroet (OM) 6-2, 6-0

4. Natasa Vuckovic (USC) def. Gabriela Rangel (OM) 6-4, 6-4

5. Miljana Jocic (USC) def. Abigail Guthrie (OM) 6-2, 6-2

6. Suzanna Mansour (USC) def. Renaudin (OM) 6-2, 1-6, 7-5

Order of Finish: 3, 5, 4, 1, 2, 6

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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