STARKVILLE, Miss. – The Louisiana Tech Tennis team closed out the fall portion of its schedule on Sunday at the John Cade Invitational, highlighted by a third-place finish in the Maroon singles bracket for Olga Bienzobas. 
 
Four Bulldogs ended up competing in the three-day event, played on the campus of Mississippi State University at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre and Rula Tennis Pavilion.
 
Bienzobas opened up the tournament with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Alexandra Mikhailuk of Mississippi State in the round of 16.  She backed that up on day two with a gutsy 7-6 (7), 7-6 (2) win against Stanislava Shulzhenko of North Texas to break into the semifinals.  She had a big hold at 5-6 to get to a first-set tiebreaker where she overcame one set point to.  In the second set, she had three match points to close it out, but took care of business in another tiebreaker after exploding to a 5-1 edge.
 
The senior ended up falling to the eventual champion Emma Kette of Ole Miss, but rebounded in the consolation match with another victory over a Mississippi State opponent.  After losing the first set, 2-6,  to Dharani Niroshan, she forced a third set with a 6-2 win of her own.  Down 1-3, Bienzobas closed it out with wins in five straight games.
 
Also playing singles in the Maroon bracket was Tiffani Nash.  The senior lost a three-set marathon to Niroshan in the round of 16, but collected a pair of wins in the consolation bracket over Nformi Stadfany (North Texas) by a score of 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (5) and Ibifuro Clement (Louisville) by a score of 6-4, 6-3.
 
Ana Rodrigues cashed in with one singles win in the White bracket, outlasting Allie Gretkowski of Louisville by score of 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (11).
 
Meanwhile, each doubles team – Rodrigues/Vasquez and Bienzobas/Nash – notched a victory over the same duo from Louisville (Clement/Noguero) by scores of 8-5 and 8-2, respectively.
 
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LA Tech will head into the offseason in preparation for the 2024 spring season, which will get underway in mid-January.
 
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JOHN CADE INVITATIONAL RESULTS
SINGLES
Olga Bienzobas (Maroon Bracket)
R16 – def. Alexandra Mikhailuk (Mississippi State) 6-3, 7-5
Q – def. Stanislava Shulzhenko (North Texas) 7-6 (7), 7-6 (2)
S – lost to Emma Kette (Ole Miss) 1-6, 2-6
C – def. Dharani Niroshan (Mississippi State) 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
 
Ana Rodrigues (White Bracket)
R16 – def. Jamilah Snells (Louisville) withdraw
Q – lost to Maria Rizzolo (Mississippi State) 3-6, 1-6
C – def. Allie Gretkowski (Louisville) 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (11)
C – lost to Pitta (Mississippi State) 4-6, 6-1, 0-1 (8)
 
Valentina Vasquez (White Bracket)
R16 – lost to Lika Persypkina (Louisville) 6-7 (2), 6-3, 3-6
C – lost to Lilly Schultz (North Texas) 3-6, 6-4, 0-1 (7)
C – lost to Chalard (North Texas) 5-7, 7-5, 0-1 (6)
 
Tiffani Nash (Maroon Bracket)
R16 – lost to Dharani Niroshan (Mississippi State) 5-7, 6-3, 2-6
C – def. Nformi Stadfany (North Texas) 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (5)
C – def. Ibifuro Clement (Louisville) 6-4, 6-3
 
DOUBLES
Ana Rodrigues/Valentina Vasquez
R16 – lost to Allie Gretkowski/Lika Persypkina (Louisville) 3-8
C – lost to Germany Davis/Jamilah Snells (Louisville) 6-8
C – def. Ibifuro Clement/Elena Noguero (Louisville) 8-5
 
Olga Bienzobas/Tiffani Nash
R16 – def. Ibifuro Clement/Elena Noguero (Louisville) 8-2
Q – lost to Lilly Schultz/Nformi Stadfany (North Texas) 4-8
C – lost to Emma Kette/Reka Zadori (Ole Miss) 2-8
C – lost to Carolina Laydner/Stanislava Shulzhenko (North Texas) 6-8