Women’s Tennis: Cajuns Capture Halloween Classic

Over the weekend, Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns women’s tennis team posted an impressive 22-8 record, including a 5-1 record in doubles play, en route to the team title at the Halloween Classic in Hattiesburg, Miss.

The Halloween Classic used the Fed Cup format with each match consisting of four singles and a doubles match with the best of five points. Teams from 10 different schools were bracketed into two divisions with the winners of each bracket squaring off on Sunday.

The Cajuns defeated Northwestern State in a rematch for the finals, winning three of the five matches. Julie Mazinova, Milou Israel and Sandra Alhqvist all won their respective single matches while the Lady Demons captured the doubles match and a singles match.

Israel was one of two Cajuns who went undefeated in singles play over the weekend. Israel (4-0) and transfer Hannah Appleyard (4-0) failed to drop a set over the weekend. Appleyard was particularly impressive. Out of eight sets in singles play, only once did an opponent win more than two games.

Mazinova and Alhqvist posted identical records of 3-1 in singles and both were flawless in doubles play. Mazinova was 2-0 with Audrey Wooland as her partner and Ahlqvist was 1-0 in the one match she played with Briggitt Marcovich.

On Friday, the Cajuns went 12-3 in all matches to start the tournament 3-0. In the opening round, UL knocked off tournament host Southern Miss (4-1) before sweeping all five matches against Nicholls State. In the final matches of the day, UL edged Lamar, 3-2.

On Saturday, the Cajuns got off to a rough start falling to Northwestern State in a cross-bracket match. The Lady Demons topped the Cajuns, 3-2, with two of NSU’s wins settled by a tiebreak.

UL rebounded after the loss with a sweep of Tennessee-Martin. In all four singles matches and the lone doubles match, the Cajuns did not drop a single set to the Skyhawks.

With the win, the Cajuns advanced to Sunday’s finals to face the Lady Demons for a second time in as many days.

Friday, Oct. 29
USM Tennis Courts
Southern Miss vs. UL                                                               Winner          Score
Singles
1 E. van Berlo (USM) vs. Wooland (UL)                                        UL                 6-2, 6-2
2 V. van Berlo (USM) vs. Mazinova (UL)                                       UL                 6-3, 6-2
3 Bengtson (USM) vs. Israel (UL)                                                 UL                 6-3, 6-1
4 Dellocono (USM) vs. Vasovic (UL)                                             USM              6-2, 6-3

Doubles
Lee/Rogers (USM) vs. Marcovich/Alhqvist (UL)                              UL                 8-6

Team Final Scoring: 4-1 UL

Tatum Park
12 p.m.
UL vs. Nicholls State                                                                Winner          Score
Singles
1 Israel (UL) vs. Zamora (NICH)                                                   UL                 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3)
2 Alhqvist (UL) vs. Kalyanasundarm (NICH)                                  UL                 6-4, 6-3
3 Vasovic (UL) vs. Harrison (NICH)                                               UL                 6-2, 6-1
4 Appleyard (UL) vs. Quintanillo (NICH)                                        UL                 6-2, 6-1

Doubles
Masinova/Wooland (UL) vs. Denezhkina/Ljoseuska (NICH)             UL                 8-3

Final Scoring: 5-0 UL

Tatum Park
3 p.m.
Lamar vs. UL                                                                          Winner          Score
Singles
1 Gutierrez (Lamar) vs. Wooland (UL)                                          Lamar            6-1, 6 -3
2 Harbuzi (Lamar) vs. Mazinova (UL)                                            Lamar            7-5, 2-6, 10-2
3 Mendez (Lamar) vs. Alhqvist (UL)                                              UL                 6-7 (5), 6-3, 11-9
4 Tobin (Lamar) vs. Appleyard (UL)                                              UL                 6-2, 6-1

Doubles
Porter/Mayogoitia (Lamar) vs. Vasovic/Marcovich (UL)                   UL                 8-6

Final Scoring: 3-2 UL

Saturday, Oct. 30
Tatum Park
9:30 a.m.
Northwestern State vs. UL                                                       Winner          Score
Singles
1 Rubesova (NSU) vs. Marcovich (UL)                                          NSU              3-6, 6-4, 10-0
2 Nodorostova (NSU) vs. Vasovic (UL)                                          NSU              7-5, 6-1
3 Schulz (NSU) vs. Alhqvist (UL)                                                 NSU              3-6, 6-3, 10-7
4 Peters (NSU) vs. Appleyard (UL)                                               UL                 6-0, 6-

Doubles
Curukovic/Bazhanova (NSU) vs. Mazinova/Wooland (UL)               UL                 8-6

Team Final Scoring:  3-2 Northwestern State

Tennessee-Martin vs. UL                                                          Winner          Score
Singles
1 Tiley (UTM) vs. Wooland (UL)                                                   UL                 7-5, 6-2
2 Simic (UTM) vs. Mazinova (UL)                                                 UL                 6-1, 6-3
3 Laing (UTM) vs. Israel (UL)                                                       UL                 6-1, 6-2
4 Van Zyl (UTM) vs. Appleyard (UL)                                             UL                 6-1, 6-4

Doubles
Herbold/Winkelmann (UTM) vs. Marcovich/Vasovic (UL)                 UL                 8-1

Team Final Scoring:  5-0 UL

Sunday, Oct. 31
Northwestern State vs. UL                                                       Winner          Score
Singles
1 Bazhanova (NSU) vs. Wooland (UL)                                          NSU              6-2, 6-3
2 Curukovic (NSU) vs. Mazinova (UL)                                           UL                 6-2, 6-3
3 Schulz (NSU) vs. Israel (UL)                                                     UL                 6-1, 6-2
4 Jan (NSU) vs Alhqvist (UL)                                                       UL                 6-4, 6-2

Doubles
Rubesova/Nodorostova (NSU) vs. Marcovich/Vasovic (UL)              NSU              8-3

Team Final Scoring:  3-2 UL