TROY, Ala. (4/6/12) – The Arkansas State tennis team dropped a 4-3 decision to Troy on Friday afternoon in a Sun Belt Conference matchup.

The Red Wolves (9-6, 1-4) lost the doubles point, but battled back in singles competition to earn three match victories but not overcome its slow start.

“It was a hard fought match and I was proud of the way we competed,” ASU tennis coach Marina Engelbrecht said. “We just need to learn to take advantage of each opportunity as it is presented to us.”

Tamara Slijepcevic, Ioana Teu and Ceara Howey all earned victories on the day for ASU. Slijepcevic defeated Lyubov Dorofeeva 6-1, 6-4 for her fifth straight victory and now stands at 13-2 on the year. Teu picked up a 6-2, 6-1 victory in the No. 5 singles match and pushed her record to 10-5, while Howey picked up a win after Gabriella Veiga retired after the first set.

In other singles action, freshman Mariana Rong lost to Karoline Grymel 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 in the No. 1 singles match, while Janie Nowland suffered a 6-1, 6-1 loss to Olfa Dhoui in the No. 3 match. In the No. 4 match Biljana Miloshevska suffered a 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 loss to Candela Munoz Giron.

In doubles competition Nowland and Howey earned a 8-4 victory over Veiga and Samya El Hsissen in the No. 2 doubles match, but the Trojans earned victories in the No. 1 and No. 3 matches to earn the point.

Rong and Teu suffered a 9-7 setback to Grymel and Dorofeeva in the No. 1 match, while Heeps-Eriksen and Slijepcevic lost to Dhoui and Munoz Giron 8-6.

ASU will return to the courts on Saturday for a match against South Alabama. First serve is set for 11:30 a.m.

Tennis Match Results

Arkansas State vs Troy

Apr 06, 2012 at Troy, Ala.

Troy 4, Arkansas State 3

 Singles competition

1. Grymel, Karoline (TROY) def. Rong, Mariana (ASU) 4-6, 7-6, 6-4

2. Slijepcevic, Tamara (ASU) def. Dorofeeva, Lyubov (TROY) 6-1, 6-4

3. Dhoui, Olfa (TROY) def. Nowland, Janie (ASU) 6-1, 6-1

4. Munoz Giron, Candela (TROY) def. Miloshevska, Biljana (ASU) 3-6, 6-2, 6-1

5. Teu, Ioana (ASU) def. El Hsissen, Samya (TROY) 6-2, 6-1

6. Howey, Ceara (ASU) def. Veiga, Gabriella (TROY) 6-0

 Doubles competition

1. Grymel, Karoline/Dorofeeva, Lyubov (TROY) def. Rong, Mariana/Teu, Ioana (ASU) 9-7

2. Nowland, Janie/Howey, Ceara (ASU) def. El Hsissen, Samya/Veiga, Gabriella (TROY) 8-4

3. Dhoui, Olfa/Munoz Giron, Candela (TROY) def. Heeps-Eriksen, Jess/Slijepcevic, Tamara (ASU) 8-6

Match Notes:

Arkansas State 9-6 (1-4)

Troy 9-6 (2-0)

Veiga retired after the first set in the No. 6 singles match.