LMU Women’s Tennis Falls to San Diego in Road Match

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The Loyola Marymount (LMU) women’s tennis team fought hard but ultimately fell to No. 37 San Diego, 5-2, on Sunday afternoon at the Hogan Tennis Center. Despite strong performances in singles play, the Lions were unable to overcome an early deficit after San Diego secured the doubles point.

Match Recap

San Diego began the match by winning the doubles point with victories on courts one and three. Ada Piestrzynska and Anastasia Bozova lost 6-3 at the No. 1 position to Anni Moll and Hannah Read, while Kristina Nordikyan and Charlotte Keitel defeated Kim-Michaela Zahraj and Helene Schnack 6-1 at No. 3 doubles. The match at No. 2 doubles between Vilma Krebs Hyllested and Maria Shmakova and LMU’s Lidia Gonzalez and Sofia Perovani was unfinished at 5-3.

LMU responded with two impressive singles victories. Lidia Gonzalez battled back from dropping the first set to defeat Charlotte Keitel 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) at the No. 1 position. Kim-Michaela Zahraj as well secured a win for the Lions at No. 4 singles, rallying from a first-set deficit to defeat Maria Shmakova 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.

Though, San Diego secured the remaining singles points to claim the match. Hannah Read defeated Anastasia Bozova 6-1, 6-2 at No. 3 singles, while Ines Leon and Anni Moll both rallied from first-set losses to defeat Helene Schnack and Sofia Perovani, respectively. Vilma Krebs Hyllested sealed the Toreros’ final singles point with a three-set win over Ada Piestrzynska at the No. 2 position.

Results

Doubles

• #1 – Moll / Read (USD) def. Piestrzynska / Bozova (LMU) – 6-3
• #2 – Krebs Hyllested / Shmakova (USD) vs. Gonzalez / Perovani (LMU) – 5-3, unfinished
• #3 – Nordikyan / Keitel (USD) def. Zahraj / Schnack (LMU) – 6-1

San Diego wins doubles point

Singles

• #1 – Gonzalez (LMU) def. Keitel (USD) – 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2)
• #2 – Krebs Hyllested (USD) def. Piestrzynska (LMU) – 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-2
• #3 – Read (USD) def. Bozova (LMU) – 6-1, 6-2
• #4 – Zahraj (LMU) def. Shmakova (USD) – 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
• #5 – Leon (USD) def. Schnack (LMU) – 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
• #6 – Moll (USD) def. Perovani (LMU) – 5-7, 6-4, 6-2

Despite the loss, LMU demonstrated resilience with comeback singles victories from Gonzalez and Zahraj, and several matches extending to decisive third sets.