CONWAY, Ark. – Four Bulldogs went a perfect 3-0 in singles as the Louisiana Tech Tennis team closed out the fall season on a high note Saturday at the UCA Invitational, played at the Conway Tennis Center.
 
LA Tech dominated in singles, going a combined 15-4 with Zoie Epps, Nina Skoric, Mio Kozaki, and Alice Brook all winning their matches.  Brook and Kozaki also teamed up for the first time this fall and won both of their doubles matches to go undefeated for the entire tournament.
 
Epps capped off an incredible fall, winning in straight sets in all three singles matches.  The sophomore, who went a combined 12-2 over the four tournaments, defeated Arina Sorokina of Oral Roberts (6-0, 6-1), Nanoka Kazamu of host Central Arkansas (6-3, 6-1), and Clemence Thouard of Memphis (6-4, 7-6).
 
Skoric was queen of the close sets.  She outlasted Ting-An Chen (UCA) in her first match 2-6, 6-2, 10-5 followed by a 7-6, 6-2 victory over Cassie Cervantes (ORU).  The sophomore transfer had another come-from-behind win on Saturday in her final match, winning 2-6, 7-5, 11-9 against Carlota Farres (Memphis).
 
Kozaki pulled out a couple of third set super breakers of her own, winning 10-8 in both versus Maja Bajorek of SEMO and Abby Wise of Oral Roberts.  That was sandwiched by a clean sheet as the junior transfer overpowered Nanami Fukushima of Central Arkansas with a 6-0, 6-0 win.
 
Then there was freshman Brook who had her best tourney of the fall.  Coming in winless, she did not drop a set during the two-day event, defeating Seohyun Park (UCA) 7-6, 7-6, Annelise Deer (ORU) 6-0, 6-4, and Caroline Lasley (Hendrix) 6-1, 6-0.
 
Brook and Kozaki also teamed up to take a pair of doubles wins, out-dueling Southeast Missouri and Central Arkansas by scores of 6-2 and 6-3, respectively.
 
Senior Ana Rodrigues swept her singles matches on Friday, downing Juliette Demunck of SEMO (6-4, 6-4) and Miriam Grossman of Memphis (6-0, 6-1).  Freshman Maria Tsironi, coming off a Round of 16 appearance at the ITA Southern Regionals, ended the tournament with a 1-6, 6-4, 11-9 comeback win against Lera Valeeva (SEMO).
 
QUOTABLES
Head coach Amy Sargeant
 
"Our goal for the weekend was to finish the fall feeling confident about our tennis and compete on our terms.  We showed a lot of grit and resilience in tough moments and learned to embrace the competition.  I am proud of where we are at and more so excited about where we are going."

RESULTS
First Round Doubles
Zoie Epps/Ana Rodrigues (LA Tech) lost to Alice Amendola/Clemence Thouard (Memphis), 6-1
Maria Tsironi/Nina Skoric (LA Tech) lost to Nanoka Kazama/Harune Shigemasu (UCA) 6-2
Mio Kozaki/Alice Brook (LA Tech) defeated Mia Mayerova/Maja Bajorek (SEMO) 6-2
June Vigneron (LA Tech)/Rebecca Frant (Memphis) defeated Juliette Demunck (SEMO)/Annelise Deer (ORU) 6-4
 
Second Round Doubles
Zoie Epps/Ana Rodrigues (LA Tech) lost to Konomi Miyakawa/Vichitraporn Vimuktananda (UCA) 6-4
Marie Tsironi/Nina Skoric (LA Tech) lost to Ava Goodell/Arina Sorokina (ORU) 6-4
Mio Kozaki/Alice Brook (LA Tech) defeated Ting-An Chen/Nanami Fukushima (UCA) 6-3
 
First Round Singles
Maria Tsironi (LA Tech) lost to Vichitraporn Vimuktananda (UCA) 6-2, 6-4
Zoie Epps (LA Tech) defeated Arina Sorokina (ORU) 6-0, 6-1
Ana Rodrigues (LA Tech) defeated Juliette Demunck (SEMO) 6-4, 6-4
Nina Skoric (LA Tech) defeated Ting-An Chen (UCA) 2-6, 6-2, 10-5
Mio Kozaki (LA Tech) defeated Maja Bajorek (SEMO) 6-2, 4-6, 10-8
June Vigneron (LA Tech) lost to Mia Mayerova (SEMO) 6-7, 6-0, 10-7
Alice Brook (LA Tech) defeated Seohyun Park (UCA) 7-6, 7-6
 
Second Round Singles
Maria Tsironi (LA Tech) lost to Alice Amendola (Memphis) 6-1, 6-4
Zoie Epps (LA Tech) defeated Nanoka Kazama (UCA) 6-3, 6-1
Ana Rodrigues (LA Tech) defeated Miriam Grossmann (Memphis) 6-0, 6-1
Nina Skoric (LA Tech) defeated Cassie Cervantes (ORU) 7-6, 6-2
Mio Kozaki (LA Tech) defeated Nanami Fukushima (UCA) 6-0, 6-0
Alice Brook (LA Tech) defeated Annelise Deer (ORU) 6-0, 6-4
 
Third Round Singles
Maria Tsironi (LA Tech) defeated Lera Valeeva (SEMO) 1-6, 6-4, 11-9
Zoie Epps (LA Tech) defeated Clemence Thouard (Memphis) 6-4, 7-6
Ana Rodrigues (LA Tech) lost to Rebecca Frant (Memphis) 6-2, 6-3
Nina Skoric (LA Tech) defeated Carlota Farres (Memphis) 2-6, 7-5, 11-9
Mio Kozaki (LA Tech) defeated Abby Wise (ORU) 4-6, 6-1, 10-8
Alice Brook (LA Tech) defeated Caroline Lasley (Hendrix) 6-1, 6-0

UP NEXT
LA Tech will now await its spring season, which will begin in mid-January at the annual Hurricane Invite in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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