Kats drop Saturday match at Rice
2/18/2017 7:32:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Box Score
HOUSTON – Khee Yen Wee picked up a No. 3 singles win, but that was the lone point the Sam Houston State Bearkats would score on Saturday as they dropped a 6-1 decision to Rice at the George R. Brown Tennis Center.
Senior All-America Katherine Ip led a parade of five Owls (5-2) to pick up straight set wins in singles, while Rice remained unbeaten in doubles this season despite the Bearkats (2-6) extending the match's first point to nearly an hour.
The match was a late addition to the schedule, replacing one lost earlier in the season due to weather which was scheduled to be played in Huntsville against UT Rio Grande Valley.
Ip and Savanna Durkin finished first, winning 6-2 on the third line over the Bearkat tandem of Ema Barkovic and Diane Friedrichs, but the remaining matches were tied 5-5 late in the contest. Wendy Zhang and Priya Niezgoda were able to break with a 6-5 lead at the first line over Mila Milanovic and Carrie Casey to clinch the point.
In singles, Rice raced to wins in each of the first six sets and then saw Ip, Durkin and Alison Ho finish in rapid fashion to provide the clinching points of the day.
Meanwhile, Wee rebounded after dropping the first set to take the second and eventually the third for her win over Fernanda Astete, accounting for the Kats' only point of the match.
Zhang needed a second-set tiebreak to get past Fabienne Gettwart (6-4, 7-6 (7-3)) in No. 1 play.
The Bearkats wrap up their non-conference slate on Feb. 25 when they take on UTRGV in Ediburg.
