The University of Mississippi Athletics
Friday, May 7
Atlanta, GA
10 AM
Ole Miss
3
vs
4
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North Florida
Women’s Tennis Falls 4-3 to North Florida in First Round of NCAA Regionals
5/7/2021 | Women's Tennis
Rebels 2021 Season Ends in Atlanta
ATLANTA – Ole Miss (11-10, 7-6 SEC) was edged out, 4-3, by North Florida (18-7, 6-0 ASUN) in the first round of the NCAA Championships on Friday.
The second-seeded Rebels competed in the NCAA Championships for the 21st time in program history, and made their first appearance since 2018. Ole Miss lost in a closely contested match in the first round to third-seeded North Florida after taking an early lead on the Ospreys. Friday's match in the Atlanta Regional was the first ever meeting between the Rebels and the Ospreys.
Ole Miss got off to a fast start at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex. The Rebels took the opening lead, 1-0 by sweeping the Ospreys 2-0 in doubles. The Rebels won the doubles point in under thirty minutes by claiming dominant victories at No. 2 and No. 3 Doubles. Kelsey Mize and Tereza Janatova won first, defeating North Florida's Annabelle Davis and Summer Yardley, 6-1. Tiphanie Fiquet and Sabina Machalova clinched the doubles point by defeating Catherine Gulihur and Valentina Mariotto, 6-2. Fiquet and Machalova finished the season with a 3-1 record when pairing together in doubles. No. 35 Anna Vrbenska and Alexa Bortles led 4-3 on Court No. 1 at the time of stoppage.
The Rebels carried the momentum from doubles into singles by winning five out of six first sets. Lillian Gabrielsen, the only Rebel to fall in the first, lost 2-6, 4-6 to Mariotto to level the overall match score at 1-all.
Moments after Gabrielsen's match ended, the Rebels reclaimed the lead by winning at No. 4 then No. 2 singles. Vrbenska defeated Yardley 6-3, 6-4 and Fiquet defeated Gulihur 6-4, 7-5. Fiquet was the only player on either team to earn victories in both singles and doubles. The Rebels took a 3-1 advantage over the Ospreys.
North Florida proceeded to come back and take the second and third sets in the three remaining matches. Machalova fell to ASUN Player of the Year Lucia Montano, Janatova lost to North Florida's Constanza Gorches and Zadori had her seven-match win streak snapped by Davis, the ASUN Freshman of the Year. Davis' win gave North Florida the 4-3 victory over the Rebels.
Ole Miss 2021 Season Highlights
Coach Beyers' Thoughts
"Obviously you hate finishing the season this way. Any time you win the doubles point and win five first sets and you can't close the deal, that's really disappointing. Credit to North Florida, their girls never gave up and kept coming at us.
Overall, I think first and foremost it's amazing we were able to get this year in. With all the things going on in the world, to be able to play a somewhat normal schedule was incredible.
We played some really good matches, but unfortunately were a little too up and down to maximize this team's potential. I hate it for our seniors, that this is the last match they'll get to play for Ole Miss. Overall in their careers they have done an amazing job and made Ole Miss tennis a better program."
Coming Up
Machalova earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Singles Championships. The individual tournament this season takes place at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida beginning on May 23.
Singles Results
Lucia Montano (UNF) def. No. 29 Sabina Machalova, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
No. 88 Tiphanie Fiquet def. Catherine Guilihur (UNF), 6-4, 7-5
Constanza Gorches (UNF) def. No. 116 Tereza Janatova, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1
Anna Vrbenska def. Summer Yardley (UNF), 6-3, 6-4
Annabelle Davis (UNF) def. Reka Zadori, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
Valentina Mariotto (UNF) def. Lillian Gabrielsen, 6-2, 6-4
Doubles Results
No. 35 Alexa Bortles/Anna Vrbenska vs. Constanza Gorches/Lucia Montano (UNF), 4-3 (unfinished)
Tiphanie Fiquet/Sabina Machalova def. Catherine Gulihur/Valentina Mariotto (UNF), 6-2
Tereza Janatova/Kelsey Mize def. Annabelle Davis/Summer Yardley (UNF), 6-1
For more information on Ole Miss Women's Tennis, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWTennis, on Facebook at OleMissWTennis and on Instagram at OleMissWTennis. Also follow Coach Beyers on Twitter, @MarkBeyers
The second-seeded Rebels competed in the NCAA Championships for the 21st time in program history, and made their first appearance since 2018. Ole Miss lost in a closely contested match in the first round to third-seeded North Florida after taking an early lead on the Ospreys. Friday's match in the Atlanta Regional was the first ever meeting between the Rebels and the Ospreys.
Ole Miss got off to a fast start at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex. The Rebels took the opening lead, 1-0 by sweeping the Ospreys 2-0 in doubles. The Rebels won the doubles point in under thirty minutes by claiming dominant victories at No. 2 and No. 3 Doubles. Kelsey Mize and Tereza Janatova won first, defeating North Florida's Annabelle Davis and Summer Yardley, 6-1. Tiphanie Fiquet and Sabina Machalova clinched the doubles point by defeating Catherine Gulihur and Valentina Mariotto, 6-2. Fiquet and Machalova finished the season with a 3-1 record when pairing together in doubles. No. 35 Anna Vrbenska and Alexa Bortles led 4-3 on Court No. 1 at the time of stoppage.
The Rebels carried the momentum from doubles into singles by winning five out of six first sets. Lillian Gabrielsen, the only Rebel to fall in the first, lost 2-6, 4-6 to Mariotto to level the overall match score at 1-all.
Moments after Gabrielsen's match ended, the Rebels reclaimed the lead by winning at No. 4 then No. 2 singles. Vrbenska defeated Yardley 6-3, 6-4 and Fiquet defeated Gulihur 6-4, 7-5. Fiquet was the only player on either team to earn victories in both singles and doubles. The Rebels took a 3-1 advantage over the Ospreys.
North Florida proceeded to come back and take the second and third sets in the three remaining matches. Machalova fell to ASUN Player of the Year Lucia Montano, Janatova lost to North Florida's Constanza Gorches and Zadori had her seven-match win streak snapped by Davis, the ASUN Freshman of the Year. Davis' win gave North Florida the 4-3 victory over the Rebels.
Ole Miss 2021 Season Highlights
- Finished the season 11-10 overall and 7-6 in SEC play
- Reached the NCAA Championships for the 21st time in program history
- Ranked top 25 in seven different rankings this season
- Ranked as high as No. 19 this season in the Oracle/ITA rankings
- Placed one player on the All-SEC First Team (Machalova) and one on the All-SEC Second Team (Fiquet)
- Earned four weekly SEC honors (Fiquet - one Player of the Week, Zadori – three-time Freshman of the Week)
- Earned six ranked wins including four top-25 victories
- Head coach Mark Beyers earned his 300th win as a head coach (vs. UNA, Feb. 12)
- Placed third in the North Carolina Regional at ITA Kickoff Weekend (Jan. 22-23)
- Defeated No. 40 Mississippi State in Starkville, 4-1 (April 2)
Coach Beyers' Thoughts
"Obviously you hate finishing the season this way. Any time you win the doubles point and win five first sets and you can't close the deal, that's really disappointing. Credit to North Florida, their girls never gave up and kept coming at us.
Overall, I think first and foremost it's amazing we were able to get this year in. With all the things going on in the world, to be able to play a somewhat normal schedule was incredible.
We played some really good matches, but unfortunately were a little too up and down to maximize this team's potential. I hate it for our seniors, that this is the last match they'll get to play for Ole Miss. Overall in their careers they have done an amazing job and made Ole Miss tennis a better program."
Coming Up
Machalova earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Singles Championships. The individual tournament this season takes place at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida beginning on May 23.
Singles Results
Lucia Montano (UNF) def. No. 29 Sabina Machalova, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
No. 88 Tiphanie Fiquet def. Catherine Guilihur (UNF), 6-4, 7-5
Constanza Gorches (UNF) def. No. 116 Tereza Janatova, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1
Anna Vrbenska def. Summer Yardley (UNF), 6-3, 6-4
Annabelle Davis (UNF) def. Reka Zadori, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
Valentina Mariotto (UNF) def. Lillian Gabrielsen, 6-2, 6-4
Doubles Results
No. 35 Alexa Bortles/Anna Vrbenska vs. Constanza Gorches/Lucia Montano (UNF), 4-3 (unfinished)
Tiphanie Fiquet/Sabina Machalova def. Catherine Gulihur/Valentina Mariotto (UNF), 6-2
Tereza Janatova/Kelsey Mize def. Annabelle Davis/Summer Yardley (UNF), 6-1
For more information on Ole Miss Women's Tennis, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWTennis, on Facebook at OleMissWTennis and on Instagram at OleMissWTennis. Also follow Coach Beyers on Twitter, @MarkBeyers
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
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#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
3,2
#1 Singles Match
123
Lucia Montano / 0 [UNF]
366
623
#2 Singles Match
12
Catherine Gulihur / 0 [UNF]
45
67
#3 Singles Match
123
Constanza Gorches / 0 [UNF]
466
611
#4 Singles Match
12
Summer Yardley / 0 [UNF]
34
66
#5 Singles Match
123
Annabelle Davis / 0 [UNF]
566
743
#6 Singles Match
12
Valentina Mariotto / 0 [UNF]
66
24
Order of Finish:
6,4,2,1,3,5
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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