RAMS’ WINNING STREAK COMES TO AN END WITH 4-2 LOSS AT #29 SMU

DALLAS, Texas. – The saying goes "All good things must come to an end."

Late Saturday evening, the Virginia Commonwealth University women's tennis team found that out the hard way as the 23rd-ranked Rams had their 10-game winning streak snapped with a 4-2 loss at #29 SMU.

After Alex Bara (Oradea, Romania) and Olena Leonchuk (Kiev, Ukraine) picked up an 8-3 win at #3 doubles, the 47th-ranked pair of Laura Burns (Hertford, England) and Kateryna Yergina (Kiev, Ukraine) locked up the doubles point with a hard-fought 9-7 win at #2 doubles.

Unfortunately that's where the good news would pretty much come to an end as the Mustangs got hot in singles competition, piling up four straight set wins at #1, #2, #4 and #5.

Yergina was the only Ram to tally a singles win with a 6-5, 6-1 defeat of 97th-ranked Aleksandra Malyarchikova.

The Rams now return home to Thalhimer Tennis Center next Saturday, March 27th for 2 p.m. showdown with conference foe, Georgia State.

#29 SMU 4, #23 VCU 2

Doubles:
1. Lesniak/Malyarchikova (SMU) def. Ana Bara/Hjertquist def. Fraser/Stevens, 8-3
2. #47 Burns/Yergina def. Francis/Cieplucha (SMU), 9-7
3. Alex Bara/Leonchuk def. Hatamova/Kennedy (SMU), 8-3

Singles:
1. No. 29 Marta Lesniak (SMU) def. Josefin Hjertquist (VCU), 6-2, 6-4
2. Katerina Vankova (SMU) def. Ana Bara (VCU), 6-3, 6-1
3. Kateryna Yergina (VCU) def. No. 97 Aleksandra Malyarchikova (SMU), 6-5, 6-1
4. Shahzoda Hatamova (SMU) def. Alex Bara (VCU), 6-3, 6-3
5. Edyta Cieplucha (SMU) def. Laura Burns (VCU), 6-1, 6-1
6. Pavi Francis (SMU) vs. OLena Leonchuk (VCU), 1-6, DNF