TYLER, Texas – The Harding women's tennis team displayed veteran poise and resilience Saturday morning, grinding out a 4-3 victory over the University of Texas Permian Basin at the TJC Brookshire Community Courts.
The Lady Bisons (2-2) secured a crucial regional win by clinching the doubles point and navigating a competitive singles slate to earn their second victory of the spring.
Doubles Point Provides the Edge
In what proved to be the deciding factor of the dual, Harding claimed the doubles point with wins at the No. 1 and No. 3 positions. The No. 8-ranked tandem of Karli Roux and Brooke Coffman remained perfect on the season, improving to 3-0 in dual matches with a 6-4 victory over Sophia Rashid and Fanny Bergstrom.
After UTPB took the No. 2 spot, the pressure shifted to the No. 3 flight. Kenna Kelley and Paula Rega rose to the occasion, delivering a 6-4 win over Sophia Crosby and Peyton Jones to give the Lady Bisons a 1-0 lead heading into singles.
Roux and Alvarez Pace the Bisons
Senior Karli Roux showed no signs of a letdown following her upset win on Friday. Competing at the No. 1 singles spot, Roux dismantled Dinethya Dharmaratne 6-3, 6-0 to extend the Harding lead. Roux has now won three consecutive singles matches, all against top regional competition.
At the No. 2 position, Natalia Alvarez earned a victory for the Lady Bisons. Alvarez led 6-3 in the first set before UTPB's Sophia Rashid was forced to withdraw due to injury, pushing the Harding lead further.
Gritting Out the Win
The Falcons (2-3) fought back with wins at No. 3 and No. 4, but Ece Boylu provided the necessary lift at the No. 5 position. Boylu rebounded from a tough Friday performance to defeat Alyssa Glasgow in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1, effectively securing the fourth point for the Lady Bisons.
The match concluded with a marathon battle at No. 6. Mia Hosking displayed incredible grit, bouncing back from a first-set loss to force a 10-point tiebreaker. While Hosking fell just short in the final frame (6-4, 6-7, 10-7), the Lady Bisons had already clinched the team victory.
Up Next
The Lady Bisons wrap up their three-match Texas swing tomorrow morning. Harding will face its second nationally-ranked opponent of the weekend when they take on No. 25 Lubbock Christian. First serve is scheduled for 10:00 AM at the Summers Tennis Center.
Harding 4, UT Permian Basin 3
Doubles Competition
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#8 Karli Roux/Brooke Coffman (HU) def. Sophia Rashid/Fanny Bergstrom (UTPB) 6-4
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Mattea Bowe/Dinethya Dharmaratne (UTPB) def. Sofia Sarmiento Ruiz/Mia Hosking (HU) 6-1
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Kenna Kelley/Paula Rega (HU) def. Sophia Crosby/Peyton Jones (UTPB) 6-4
Singles Competition
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Karli Roux (HU) def. Dinethya Dharmaratne (UTPB) 6-3, 6-0
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Natalia Alvarez (HU) def. Sophia Rashid (UTPB) 6-3, ret (inj)
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Fanny Bergstrom (UTPB) def. Brooke Coffman (HU) 6-1, 6-0
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Mattea Bowe (UTPB) def. Sofia Sarmiento Ruiz (HU) 1-6, 6-3, 6-1
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Ece Boylu (HU) def. Alyssa Glasgow (UTPB) 6-4, 6-1
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Paige Sitanggang (UTPB) def. Mia Hosking (HU) 6-4, 6-7, 10-7
Order of finish: Doubles (2, 3, 1); Singles (1, 3, 2, 4, 5, 6)
