JMU Opens Sun Belt Play with 5-2 Victory Over App State

Saturday, March 9

Harrisonburg, Va.

10 a.m.

James Madison University

App State

3/9/2024 3:02:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score Photo Gallery

HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison used a late surge in singles play to open Sun Belt Conference play with a 5-2 women's tennis victory against App State on Saturday at the East Campus Tennis Courts.

The Dukes, playing in their first match in three weeks, improved to 4-5 on the season and 1-0 in Sun Belt play, while the Mountaineers fell to 6-5 and 0-1.

JMU claimed the doubles point and won four of six singles matches to remain unbeaten against App State all-time, improving to 5-0 since the first meeting in 1984. This was also the first time JMU played App in Harrisonburg.

Ines Oliveira and Hope Moulin went 2-0 on the day to lead the Dukes while the team also produced singles victories from Alexandra Prudente and Sara Sadadinovic.

QUOTING COACH TYSON THOMAS
"I'm really proud of the team today. They came out focused in doubles and executed extremely well. We got off to a good start in singles, but credit App State, which fought back and temporarily stole the lead and momentum. Hope came on with a huge performance in singles at the same time Ines fought back from a third-set deficit. I was very happy to see the team's resilience and poise today and was a great step forward."

HOW IT HAPPENED
Doubles Play

JMU quickly took a 1-0 match lead by taking courts three and one with ease.
Hayley Glen and Moulin, teaming for the first time in doubles, cruised past Brooke Demerath and Peri Tippins on court three by a 6-0 score.
Over on court one, JMU captured the doubles point in a 6-2 triumph by Daria Munteanu and Oliveira in their bout against Savanna Dada-Mascoll and Naledi Manyube.
On court two, the match went unfinished with App's Maggie Pate and Taya Powell holding a 5-2 advantage on Cate Broerman and Prudente.

Singles Play

App State squared the match at 1-1 with a straight-set victory on court one. After pulling away in the first set, Dada-Mascoll didn't drop a game in the second en route to a 6-3, 6-0 win over Munteanu.
The Mountaineers gained the lead, at 2-1, with a comeback win on court two, as Powell downed Broerman by scores of 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.
JMU evened it up at two apiece with a huge win on court three. After splitting the first two sets, Oliveira stormed back in the third, overcoming a 3-0 deficit to defeat Pate, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
The win for Oliveira avenged her setback to Pate on the same court this time last year, in which Pate won in a third-set tiebreak.
The Dukes regained the lead with a victory on court four, as Moulin dominated the first and held serve late to beat Olwyn Ryan-Bovey, 6-1, 6-4.
JMU clinched the win on court five, where Prudente held off a furious rally by Manyube. The Mountaineer climbed back from down 5-2 in the second set and forced a tiebreak where Prudente eventually won the breaker, 7-5, to win the match by scores of 6-3, 7-6 (5).
Sadadinovic closed the afternoon strong, rolling to a 6-4, 6-2 victory against Demerath on court six.

UP NEXT
JMU is back in action on Sunday, March 10 when it hosts Drake out of the Missouri Valley Conference at noon.