INCARNATE WORD 5, CAMERON 4
Two seniors were key to Incarnate Word’s win Friday over Cameron in a matchup of nationally-ranked tennis teams.
The UIW women are 23rd in the nation and go to 13-4 for the season while the 33rd ranked Aggies see their record at 12-6.
Incarnate Word won two of the three doubles matches to gain an edge heading into the six singles matches. By agreement, the two teams said the match would be over when one or the other reached the magical five points.
Cameron won quickly at singles one and two before Gretchen Troutmann captured a win at number three followed by senior Erica Engberg’s history-making win at four putting the Cardinals up 4-3 and within one point of winning it all. That Engberg win gave her 55 singles victories in her career matching the all-time UIW record established by Veronica Gonzalez between 1990 and 1993.
Engberg has two more chances in the regular season to raise the bar with the first opportunity coming Sunday at 10 .m. against Nichols State.
When Cameron won at number five singles it all came down to senior Karen Rodriguez and the Aggies’ Daniela Stevenson. Rodriguez won the first game of the first set before suffering a nose bleed which stopped the action. Recovering within a reasonable amount of time she won the first set 6-3.
In set two she fell behind 2-1 before surviving two game points to break Stevenson’s serve making it 2-2. Rodriguez held her own serve at 3-2 and broke service to go up 4-2. She lost her own service, then broke back to get to 5-3 before serving it out at 6-3 for the winning fifth point.
DOUBLES
1) Amanda Moberg-Julia Puckhaber, CU, d. Adrianna Hernandez-Gretchen Trautmann, UIW, 8-0
2) Erica Engberg-Alex Adams, UIW, d. Sara Flores-Daniela Stevenson, CU, 8-3
3) Stephanie Rodriguez-Karen Rodriguez, UIW, d. Elvira Sholles-Carolina Mullor, CU, 8-4
SINGLES
1) Moberg, CU, d. Hernandez, UIW, 6-1, 6-1
2) Puckhaber, CU, D. S. Rodriguez, UIW, 6-2, 6-1
3) Trautmann, UIW, d. Mullor, CU, 6-1, 6-3
4) Engberg, UIW, d. Flores, CU, 6-3, 6-3
5) Sholles, CU, d. Adams, UIW, 7-5, 6-1
6) K. Rodriguez, UIW, d. Stevenson, CU, 6-3, 6-3
RECORDS
Cameron 12-6
Incarnate Word 13-4