NCAA First Round: Georgia Tech def. Wichita State, 4-3
Friday, May 8, 2015 | Women's Tennis
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In a fiercely competitive match that came down to the final singles court, No. 24 Georgia Tech advanced to the NCAA Second Round with a 4-3 victory over No. 36 Wichita State on Friday afternoon at the Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex.
The Yellow Jackets will face the winner of Bethune-Cookman vs. No. 5 Florida in the Second Round on Saturday, May 9 at 1 p.m.
Georgia Tech junior Megan Kurey earned a three-set victory and provided the thrilling dual match point that earned the Yellow Jackets the win in the first round of the NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Championship.
The match came down to Court three, where Kurey was battling Wichita State junior Abby Stevens, who had won her last 11 singles matches. Stevens had a chance to win the match on her serve in the ninth game, leading 5-4 and winning the first two points, but Kurey battled back with the break and won the first two points of her serve.
Stevens regrouped with the next two points before Kurey ripped off the next two and held for a 6-5 lead. The Yellow Jacket junior then captured her eighth consecutive singles victory after a long final game, taking the 3-6, 7-6 (6), 7-5 decision in two hours and 25 minutes.
Georgia Tech improves to 15-1 in NCAA Round of 64 matches, with the only loss coming against UCLA, 4-3, in 2001. Wichita State falls to 1-9 in Round of 64 matches, with the only win coming against South Carolina, 4-3, in 2007.
Wichita State gained the early advantage when they clinched the doubles point at the No. 1 position. Gabriela Porubin and Julia Schiller helped WSU to the early tally with an 8-3 win at No. 2.
Georgia Tech, however, gained momentum in singles play and won the first set on four of six singles courts. The Yellow Jackets took a quick 2-1 lead with wins at their top two singles positions. No. 101-ranked Johnnise Renaud sparked the Georgia Tech singles effort with a straight-set victory over Wichita State's Julia Schiller. Rasheeda McAdoo followed suit when she topped Gabriela Porubin, 6-2, 6-2. The Shockers tallied wins at No. 6 and No. 3 singles to stay in the match, but it was not enough as the Yellow Jackets were able to outlast their opponent down the stretch.
| 2015 NCAA Women's Tennis Championship | ||||||
| Scott Linder Stadium at the Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex | ||||||
| Gainesville, Fla. | ||||||
| Friday, May 8, 2015 | ||||||
| Doubles | GEORGIA TECH | vs | WICHITA STATE | Winner |
| Score/match length |
| Megan Kurey | Lucia Kovalova | |||||
| No. 1 - | Alexa Anton Ohlmeyer | Rebecca Pedrazzi | WS* | 8-4 | ||
| Alexis Prokopuik | Gabriela Porubin | |||||
| No. 2 - | Kendal Woodard | Julia Schiller | WS | 8-3 | ||
| Rasheeda McAdoo | Luca Pump | |||||
| No. 3 - | Johnnise Renaud | Aleksandra Trifunovic | GT | 8-0 | ||
| Singles | GEORGIA TECH | vs | WICHITA STATE | Winner |
| Score/match length |
| No. 1 - | Johnnise Renaud (101) | Julia Schiller | GT | 6-2, 6-2 | ||
| No. 2 - | Rasheeda McAdoo | Gabriela Porubin | GT | 6-2, 6-2 | ||
| No. 3 - | Kendal Woodard | Rebecca Pedrazzi | WS | 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 | ||
| No. 4 - | Megan Kurey | Abby Stevens | GT* | 3-6, 7-6 (6), 7-5 | ||
| No. 5 - | Alexa Anton Ohlmeyer | Lucia Kovalova | GT | 6-1, 6-4 | ||
| No. 6 - | Alexis Prokopuik | Aleksandra Trifunovic | WS | 6-3, 6-2 | ||
| FINAL SCORE: | Georgia Tech – 4 | Wichita St. – 3 | * Clinched victory | |||
| Records: | Georgia Tech 17-9 | Wichita St. 24-4 | ||||
| Order of Finish: | Doubles: 3, 2, 1* | Singles: 1, 2, 6, 5, 3, 4* | ||||
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Quotes from the Match
Georgia Tech Head Coach Rodney Harmon
On Georgia Tech's first-round performance and Megan Kurey's toughness down the stretch:
“Megan (Kurey) really gutted it out. Wichita State played extremely well. They out-played us in doubles. We came out in singles and won the first set on a number of courts, but they kept fighting back. We won pretty fast on courts one and two and then won, I thought, pretty well down on five. They got us on three and then it got really tight down on this end, they won on six and then it came down to Megan playing really tough at the finish. We're just fortunate -- she has done it a couple times for us this year. It's good having her at the finish line.”
On the message to his team on advancing to the NCAA Second Round:
“We just have to hydrate and try to get ready for tomorrow and whomever we play.”
Georgia Tech vs. Wichita State:
With the first meeting between the two programs, Georgia Tech leads Wichita State, 1-0.
Georgia Tech at the NCAA Championship:
Georgia Tech competes in its 16th overall and 16th consecutive NCAA Championship. The Yellow Jackets improved to 15-1 in First Round matches with today's win. They have won their past 14-straight First Round contests.
Familiar Territory:
This is the second time in three years that the Yellow Jackets have traveled to Gainesville for the NCAA First and Second Rounds. In 2013, Georgia Tech defeated Yale, 4-3, in the First Round and fell to No. 1 seed Florida, 4-0.
Wichita State at the NCAA Championship:
Wichita State participates in its seventh consecutive and ninth overall NCAA Championship. The Shockers are now 1-9 all-time in NCAA matches.
Conference Dominance:
The Shockers have won the Missouri Valley Conference seven-straight seasons.
Welcome to Gainesville:
Three of Wichita State's NCAA trips have been to Florida, however this year's stop in Gainesville is the first-ever for the Shockers.
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