Kansas City
Wichita State University
Women's Tennis Unable to Overcome Shockers
2/27/2020 9:56:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Playing in Her Hometown, Grace Ball Took Her Match to Three Sets
WICHITA, Kan. - The Kansas City Women's Tennis team traveled to the Air Capital on Thursday afternoon, falling to Wichita State, 4-0.Â
"We had opportunities," Head Coach Kendell Hale said. "In this sport you have to convert when they give them to you."
The Shockers took the point in doubles by winning at the two and three spots, leaving the first flight unfinished. At ones, Michela Xibilia and Yana Grechkina took the number 28 ranked doubles team in the nation the distance before the match was called off. Xibilia and Grechkina owned a 5-4 lead before Grace Ball and Rhiannon McBlane fell at three doubles to give the Shockers the match lead.
In one singles, Xibilia took Lingwei Kong to a full three sets. She won the first set in a tiebreak, but was unable to carry the momentum into the next two, falling 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-1.
Playing in familiar territory, Wichita native Grace Ball stayed competitive with the Shockers' Natsumi Kurahashi. After losing in the first set, she bounced back to take the second. The third set was just underway when Wichita State secured the match-winning point and the courts were cleared. When the match ended, Kurahashi had a slight advantage in the third set, leaving the final score as 6-4, 3-6, 2-1, unfinished.
"Grace played well in front of her hometown crowd," Hale said.
The women will stay on the road this weekend, traveling to Des Moines, Iowa for matches against North Dakota on Saturday at noon and Drake on Sunday at 11 AM.
Players Mentioned
