Women's Tennis 5/11/2013 12:00:00 AM

NT Falls To TCU, 4-1, In First Round

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (5/11/13) - No. 3 seed North Texas fell to No. 2 seed TCU, 4-1, in the first round match of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday morning in College Station.

"We are very disappointed we came out flat and didn't compete the way we have all year long," head coach Sujay Lama said after the loss. "You can blame it on nerves or rust from a long lay off. The bottom line is we didn't get it done. The opportunity certainly was there."

No. 29 nationally ranked TCU (18-6) jumped off to an early 1-0 lead over No. 60 North Texas (18-6) after winning two out of three doubles matches.

Ilona Serchenko fell 6-2, 6-0 to Monika Sirilova at the No. 5 position to give TCU a 2-0 edge.

Valentina Starkova won the lone point for North Texas dropping just four points in a 6-2, 6-2 win over No. 122 nationally ranked Olivia Smith at the No. 3 singles spot. Smith defeated Starkova in straight sets when the two faced each other at the No. 2 position in February.

Minutes later, the Horned Frogs took a 3-1 lead with a win from Simona Parajova over Barbora Vykydalova, 6-4, 6-3, at the No. 2 singles spot. Vykydalova defeated Parajova, who was ranked No. 95 nationally, in February.

Kseniya Bardabush fell to No. 44 nationally ranked Stefanie Tan, 6-1, 6-4, at the No. 1 singles slot. The loss gave TCU the four points necessary to clinch the match and advance to the second round.

"This was an amazing year overall and these ladies accomplished a lot," Lama added. "I am very proud of the way they kept working, improving and coming together as a team. The three seniors will be missed. They have left their mark."

The Mean Green ended the season with 18 wins for the second consecutive season as well as back-to-back SBC Championships.

No. 29 TCU 4, No. 60 North Texas 1

NCAA Championship, First Round

George P. Mitchell Tennis Center

College Station, Texas

May 11, 2013

SINGLES

1. No. 44 Stefanie Tan (TCU) def.>Kseniya Bardabush (NT), 6-1, 6-4

2. Simona Parajova (TCU) def. Barbora Vykydalova (NT), 6-4, 6-3

3. Valentina Starkova (NT) def. No. 122 Olivia Smith (TCU), 6-2, 6-2

4. Kelsey Sundaram (TCU) vs. Franziska Sprinkmeyer (NT), 6-2, 5-3 unfinished

5. Monika Sirilova (TCU) def. Ilona Serchenko (NT), 6-2, 6-0