Dukes Drop Heartbreaker to Texas State

Sunday, March 24

Harrisonburg, Va.

10 a.m.

James Madison University

Texas State

3/24/2024 5:07:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score Photo Gallery

HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison erased a pair of match deficits, but Texas State was able to grind out a three-set victory late to earn a 4-2 road victory in Sun Belt Conference women's tennis action Sunday at East Campus Tennis Courts.

The Bobcats improved to 9-3 on the season and 3-1 in Sun Belt play, while the Dukes fell to 6-7 overall and 2-2 in league matches.

The loss was JMU's first at home this season, now standing at 5-1 in matches played in Harrisonburg. It was also TSXT's first win against JMU, avenging a 5-2 loss to JMU in San Marcos, Texas back on March 10, 2023.

Earning singles wins for the Dukes were Daria Munteanu and Cate Broerman, while the visitors captured the road triumph by virtue of winning a pair of three-set singles bouts.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Doubles Play

The visitors claimed the early 1-0 lead, winning on courts one and two to secure the doubles point.
On court one, Sofia Fortuno and Maria Lora defeated Munteanu and Ines Oliveira, 6-3.
Leading 3-2 on court two, the team of Jadeh Chan and Mae McCutcheon reeled off three in a row to down Broerman and Alexandra Prudente, 6-2.
Reka Matko and Hope Moulin also led Emma Carr and Emily Niers, 4-3, on court three when the bout was abandoned.

Singles Play

JMU evened the score with a solid showing on court one, where Munteanu turned in a 6-3, 6-4 triumph against Kiana Graham.
The Bobcats regained the lead on court two, as Callie Creath rallied from a set down after dropping a first-set tiebreak. She took down Oliveira, 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-4, to give TXST a 2-1 match lead.
The court-three bout, which was tight throughout, would be decided in a third-set tiebreak. After dropping the first set and falling behind in the third, Broerman squeaked out the win by upending Niers, 7-3, in the third-set breaker. She won the match by scores of 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (3) to square the match at two apiece.
Texas State came back with a court-four victory, grabbing a 3-2 match lead. Fortuno trailed 4-2 in the second set before taking five of six games to down Moulin, 6-2, 7-5.
The final two matches would both go to third sets, and TXST clinched the match on court five, where Andrea Pineda pulled away in the final frame to down Matko, 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-3).
On court six, Lora narrowly led Prudente in the third, holding a 6-7 (4), 6-1, 5-4 lead.

UP NEXT
JMU is back in action on Thursday, March 28 when it travels to Monroe, La., to take on ULM. First serve is set for 11 a.m. ET (10 a.m. CT).