Women's Tennis Match Unfinished, Men Fall to James Madison

Sunday, March 29

Vidas Courts

1 p.m.

Drexel University

James Madison (Alumni Day)

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Women's Tennis Match Unfinished, Men Fall to James Madison

3/30/2015 12:06:00 AM | Men's Tennis

PHILADELPHIA - With the Dragons tied 3-3 overall with James Madison and Drexel's Ryshena Providence up 4-2 in the deciding third set of her match, darkness fell over Vidas Courts, leaving the match unfinished. Drexel's men drop their match to the Dukes, 2-5, on Alumni Day.

The loss drops Drexel's men to 10-8 on the year, making it their third consecutive loss. The men are still searching for their elusive first 11-win season in program history.Drexel's women again remain 12-1 on the year, after rain left their match against Central Florida unfinished on Friday.

"The women have never beat JMU ever," head coach Mehdi Rhazali said. "We worked hard, we fought hard and we were almost there, but we couldn't finish due to the light. It's tough, but we have to remain tough and mature about it. We will use this match and the 12-1 record to show that we are a tough team, and we will be a threat in the CAA matches.

"The men played nervous and wanted to win so bad to the point that some of them couldn't play their game. We will have to fix this as fast as possible and bounce back. We have three more matches left and we can't afford to let a match get away from us like today."

The Dragons' day at their first match at Vidas of the spring season began with the men's doubles. Kashyap Ashok and Dan Koehler got the Blue and Gold on the board first with an 8-3 win. After Alex Fioravante and Xabier Saavedra dropped their match 8-2 from the first position, leaving the doubles point in the hands of Badr Ouabdelmoumen and Daniel Hansen in the third spot. The team's swapped late breaks, ultimately forcing a tiebreak, but with the tiebreak tied 5-all, the Dragons yielded two straight points and the all-important doubles point.

In singles play, Ouabdelmoumen played his way to a third set, before falling to the Dukes' No. 1. Hamza Laalej again got the Dragons on the board with a 6-4, 6-2 victory, while Koehler picked up a 6-4, 7-5 win from the sixth spot. Laalej also won the Dragons' lone match on Thursday against Central Florida. The win improves his record to 11-2 overall in his freshman campaign and 9-1 from the fifth position.

The Dragons' women played a tough James Madison squad to the wire before darkness ultimately took over. In doubles play, Drexel earned the important point as Erin Bowsher and Ryshena Providence from the second spot and Lea Winkler and Kendra Bunch from the third spot picked up the oft reliable duo of Nicole Pivonka and Clary Rodriguez Cruz with wins. Bowsher and Providence battled their way to an 8-7 (4) victory in a tiebreak, while Winkler and Bunch took home an 8-4 win.

In singles play, Pivonka fought to a tough three-set win, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3, and Rodriguez Cruz cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 win. After Winkler fell in a three-set fight, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-3, the Dragons' hopes rested on freshman Providence. And she put out her best effort, taking the first set in a tiebreak, 7-6 (4), before dropping a tough second in another tiebreak, 6-7 (1). Providence was leading the all-deciding third set before the match was called on account of darkness.

The Dragons will return to action on Thursday when the host Saint Joseph's in a non-conference match-up at Vidas Courts. Play is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.

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Men: Drexel 2, James Madison 5
Singles
Robert Stirling (JMU) def. Badr Ouabdelmoumen (DU) 4-6, 6-1, 10-2
Sebastian Salinas (JMU) def. Kashyap Ashok (DU) 6-4, 6-2
Brett Moorhead (JMU) def. Alex Fioravante (DU) 7-5, 6-1
Maxi Branth (JMU) def. Xabier Saavedra (DU) 7-5, 6-1
Hamza Laalej (DU) def. Stephen Goldman (JMU) 6-4, 6-2
Dan Koehler (DU) def. Miljan Ruzic (JMU) 6-4, 7-5

Doubles
Ruzic & Salinas (JMU) def. Fioravante & Saavedra (DU) 8-2
Ashok & Koehler (DU) def. Berdnikoff & Branth (JMU) 8-3
Stirling & Moorhead (JMU) def. Ouabdelmoumen & Hansen (DU) 8-7 (5)

Women (unfinished): Drexel 3, James Madison 3
Singles
Nicole Pivonka (DU) def. Taylor Pinchoff (JMU) 6-3, 2-6, 6-3
Rachel Nelson (JMU) def. Erin Bowsher (DU) 6-4, 7-5
Clary Rodriguez Cruz (DU) def. Dylan Owens (JMU) 6-2, 6-1
Alex Huie (JMU) def. Lea Winkler (DU) 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-3
Ryshena Providence (DU) unfinished Rebecca Harris (JMU) 7-6 (4), 6-7 (1), 4-2
Kimmy Herrock (JMU) def. Kendra Bunch (DU) 6-1, 6-2

Doubles
Pinchoff & Huie (JMU) def. Pivonka & Rodriguez Cruz (DU) 8-5
Bowsher & Providence (DU) def. Herrock & Harris (JMU) 8-7 (4)
Winkler & Bunch (DU) def. Nelson & Bradshaw (JMU) 8-4