The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Middle Tennessee State
Rebel Netters Down Middle Tennessee State 6-1
2/25/2011 | Women's Tennis
Feb. 25, 2011
OXFORD, Miss. -- Cooler temperatures greeted the Ole Miss women's tennis team against Middle Tennessee State Friday, but it didn't bother the No. 24 ranked Rebels as they downed the Blue Raiders 6-1 at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center.
With the win, the Rebels improved to 5-2 as they get ready for the start of Southeastern Conference play next weekend.
The match began with Ole Miss sweeping the doubles for the second straight match. The No. 22 ranked team of Kristi Boxx and Abby Guthrie won 8-1 at No. 1 doubles and then Connor Vogel and Gabby Rangel claimed an 8-2 win at No. 2. The Rebels' rallied from down 7-3 at No. 3 to win 8-7.
"It was a little tougher as far as the conditions, because it was a little colder. I thought we played well at No. 1 doubles and solid at No. 2. We didn't play as well at No. 3, but I am proud of them for coming back after being down 7-3," head coach Mark Beyers said.
Boxx sat out singles, but it didn't matter. Everybody stepped up a spot, and the Rebels didn't miss a beat. Senior Laura van de Stroet took out her opponent, Lexi Brand, 6-0, 6-0 at No. 4, and her doubles partner, freshman Caroline Rohde-Moe downed MTSU's Marietta Bigus 6-3, 6-0 at No. 2 to give the Rebels a 3-0 lead.
"I haven't been playing that well since the beginning of the season, so it was nice to get a 6-0, 6-0 match in," van de Stroet said. "We've had two weeks of practice outside. This early in the season, it's good to have played in these conditions. The weather was a little harder to play this match. It was cold and windy. It's nice to have this match before SEC play, so if we experience this weather again, we'll be ready for it."
Freshman Vivian Vlaar rang up her 10th straight win of the spring and improved to 7-0 in dual matches with a 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 5 to clinch the victory. Afterward, she talked about her recent success.
"I always want to win of course, but when I am playing for the Rebels, I want to win for the team. Every match I go out thinking that I'm going to win the match, and if I don't, then I'll just win the next one. I try to have a lot of confidence in myself," Vlaar said.
Connor Vogel defeated Yuiri Nomoto 6-2, 6-2 at No. 1 to complete the Rebel scoring. The Blue Raiders only win came at No. 6 where Alex Dachos defeated Gabby Rangel 6-3, 6-4.
"In singles, most of the matches were pretty convincing. We sat Kristi to give everybody a chance to play up a position," Beyers said. "Gabby was struggling out there a little with a pretty bad cold. That's not an excuse, but I know she's not feeling 100 percent. She was making a run, and I thought she might come back and pull out that second set. I told her I was proud of her for hanging in there and continuing to fight. Middle Tennessee fought hard, but we took care of business."
The Rebels will open SEC play next Friday at Kentucky followed by a match at No. 14 Vanderbilt on Sunday, March 6.
DOUBLES
1. Boxx/Guthrie (OM) def. Nomoto/Maas (MTSU) 8-1
2. Vogel/Rangel (OM) def. Bigus/Brand (MTSU) 8-2
3. Rohde-Moe/van de Stroet (OM) def. Nava/Dachos (MTSU) 8-7(6)
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3
SINGLES
1. Connor Vogel (OM) def. Yuiri Nomoto (MTSU) 6-2, 6-2
2. Caroline Rohde-Moe (OM) def. Marietta Bigus (MTSU) 6-3, 6-0
3. Abby Guthrie (OM) def. Carla Nava (MTSU) 6-0, 6-3
4. Laura van de Stroet (OM) def. Lexi Brand (MTSU) 6-0, 6-0
5. Vivian Vlaar (OM) def. Lisa Maas (MTSU) 6-1, 6-2
6. Alex Dachos (MTSU) def. Gabby Rangel (OM) 6-3, 6-4
Order of Finish: 4, 2, 5, 3, 1, 6
