Mean Green Conclude Fall Campaign

Friday, November 9

Las Vegas, NV

All Day

University of North Texas

UNLV Invite

11/12/2018 11:49:00 PM | Women's Tennis

LAS VEGAS — The North Texas tennis team concluded what has been its most successful fall season under 13-year head coach Sujay Lama with a team showing at the UNLV Invite this past weekend.

The Mean Green were Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regional champs for the first time in program history, advanced to the round of 16 in the National Fall Championships and began the year with a flight championship at the Rice Invite.

In addition to the team success, senior Maria Kononova became the program's winningest singles player in program history this fall.

This weekend's tournament in Las Vegas was not another highlight as their best finish was a third place flight finish by sophomore Sille Tranberg. UNT competed against Iowa, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Liberty, Arizona, Purdue, Air Force and the host school UNLV in the three-day Invite.

"We knew going in that this tournament that it would be no walk in the park," Lama said. "All weekend we played each opponent tight, but just struggled landing balls in the big moments on big points. Our level of play was there, we just need to get better at landing balls under pressure."

Seniors Tamuna Kutubidze and Kononova did not compete in the UNLV Invite but their performances this past fall appear to have set the Mean Green up to compete for another conference championship in the spring. However it's not just Kutubidze and Kononova.

Juniors Alexandra Heczey and Ivana Babic had an incredible showing in doubles at the Texas Regional, including knocking off the top-seed team in the tournament from Texas.

Senior Minying Liang also had a career-best fall, beating the highest ranked opponent she's ever beaten and then last week Tranberg battled through the toughest and most grueling singles match in route to two big wins at SMU. Sophomores Nidhi Surapaneni and junior Haruka Sasaki also had key contributions this fall to the program's successful preseason.

North Texas has two months off before it begins its spring season with a home match versus Abilene Christian University on Jan. 15.

UNLV INVITE RESULTS
SUNDAY

FLIGHT ONE SINGLES FINAL
CONSOLATION FINAL
Tatiana Makarova (TAMU) def. Minying Liang (UNT) 6-2, 6-0

FLIGHT TWO SINGLES FINAL
SEVENTH PLACE
Ena Babic (PUR) def. Nina Surapeneni (UNT) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2

FLIGHT THREE SINGLES FINAL
SEVENTH PLACE
Taylor Tamblyn (AZ) def. Ivana Babic (UNT) 7-5, 7-6

FLIGHT FIVE SINGLES FINALS
SEVENTH PLACE
Michelle Bacalla (IOWA) def. Haruka Sasaki (UNT) 6-3, 6-1

FLIGHT SIX SINGLES FINALS
THIRD PLACE
Sille Tranberg (UNT) vs. Rebekah Anderson (LIB) NOT PLAYED

FLIGHT TWO DOUBLES FINAL
SEVENTH PLACE
Liang/Surapeneni (UNT) def. Ruette/uckleby (IOWA) 7-6

FLIGHT THREE DOUBLES FINAL
CONSOLATION FINAL
Dovnik/Sabe (PUR) def. Babic/Sasaki (UNT) 6-4

FLIGHT ONE SINGLES
SATURDAY
Minying Liang (UNT) def. Meredith Jones (AFA) 6-3, 6-4

FLIGHT TWO SINGLES
Sophie Clark (IOWA) def. Surapeneni (UNT) 6-4, 6-1

FLIGHT THREE SINGLES
Alex Sabe (PUR) def. Ivana Babic (UNT) 7-6, 6-1

FLIGHT FOUR SINGLES
Nadeen Lieberman (AFA) def. Alexandra Heczey (UNT) 6-2, 6-3

FLIGHT FIVE SINGLES
Meredith Laskey (AFA) def. Haruka Sasaki (UNT) 6-4, 6-2

FLIGHT SIX SINGLES
Zala Dovnik (PUR) def. Sille Tranberg (UNT) 6-2, 6-2

FLIGHT ONE DOUBLES
#37 Zhu/Huang (UNLV) def. Babic/Heczey (UNT) 6-1

FLIGHT TWO DOUBLES CONSOLATION
Thomas/Tamblyn (AZ) def. Liang/Surapeneni (UNT) 7-6

FLIGHT THREE DOUBLES CONSOLATION
Tranberg/Sasaki (UNT) def. Burich/Bauers (IOWA) 6-0