STARKVILLE, Miss. – After a three-week hiatus, Louisiana Tech was back in action as the Bulldogs split their Sunday doubleheader at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre, highlighted by a shutout victory over Bellarmine and the highest ranked doubles win in program history.
 
LA Tech (3-2) opened the day with a decisive 4-0 victory against Bellarmine (2-7), claiming the doubles point plus singles wins on courts two, three, and five.  Following a one-hour break, LA Tech stunned Mississippi State (5-0) by winning the doubles point, but the home Bulldogs swept all six singles lines to take the match 6-1.
 
Mio Kozaki and Diane Starodubtseva picked up the first win of the day, claiming a 6-1 victory on court three.  Alice Brook and Maria Tsironi followed with a 6-4 win on court two to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead.
 
LA Tech raced out to leads in singles, claiming the first set on five of the six courts versus the Knights.  Nina Skoric finished first, dominating Marika Caruk 6-2, 6-0 at the No. 2 spot.  Shortly thereafter, June Vigneron dismantled Lillie Willis 6-2, 6-1 at the No. 5 position.
 
Clinching the match for the 'Dogs was Starodubtseva who overpowered Gracie Hurley 6-3, 6-1 on court three.
 
LA Tech kept that momentum into doubles play against SEC foe and undefeated Mississippi State.  While the home Bulldogs picked up a win on court two, the visiting Bulldogs countered as Kozaki and Starodubtseva teamed up again to tally a 6-4 victory on court three.
 
The opening point came down to court one where Zoie Epps and Isabella Walker were up against the 9th-ranked doubles team in the country in Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz and Gianna Oboniye.  Down 2-4, Epps and Walker won three straight games to take a 5-4 lead.  Up 40-30 in the game, Epps ripped a backhand down the line to win 6-4, claiming the highest ranked win ever at LA Tech.
 
The home Bulldogs regrouped though, winning all six singles matches via straight sets. 
 
QUOTABLES
Head coach Amy Sargeant
 
"Today was about competing with confidence and staying locked in from the first ball to the last, and we showed that.  Two doubles points came from being intentional and committing to being the aggressive team first.  That work is paying off.  Singles against Bellarmine was solid: clean execution, simple decisions, and discipline to the game plan.  Now the next step is raising our grit level in the tough moments.  Lean into pressure, embrace the fight, and keep demanding more from ourselves."
 
UP NEXT
LA Tech will head to the Lone Star State next weekend with a pair of road matches at North Texas and UT Arlington.
 
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