Mary Haridin-Baylor Athletics

Click here to watch match point and the celebration.

Click here to watch an interview with Cru head coach James Cohagan.

Click here to watch an interview with Cru freshman AshLee Bilbo.

Belton, TX – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor women's tennis team used a gritty effort from a freshman to clinch the match as the Cru women won the first American Southwest Conference West Division championship in school history with a 5-4 win over Hardin-Simmons University Saturday afternoon in Belton. UMHB improves to 12-5 overall and finishes 6-0 in ASC West Division play to win its first ASC West crown. The loss drops Hardin-Simmons to 10-7 overall and 4-1 in the ASC West Division. The loss also snaps the Cowgirls 84-match ASC West Division win streak. The last time HSU lost an ASC West Division women's dual match was on April 13, 1999 when Howard Payne topped the Cowgirls.

 

UMHB posted wins at #1 and #3 doubles to take a 2-1 lead into singles. The Cru would then takes wins at #2 and #3 singles and the match would be tied at 4 with only #6 singles left on the court. HSU's Danielle Cochran won the first set over UMHB freshman AshLee Bilbo 6-4. Bilbo then stormed back to win the second set 6-4 and set up a winner-take-all third set. Bilbo would lead 5-4 with a chance to break Cochran's serve for the match. Cochran fought off three match points before Bilbo finally broke through to give the Cru the win. Three of the singles matches would go three sets and UMHB had to fight back from early deficits in both of its doubles wins.

 

UMHB will now return to action with a 1:00 PM dual match at U.T.-Dallas next Thursday in Richardson. The Cru will then host the ASC Championship Tournament for the first time in school history thanks to that West Division title. The ASC Championship Tournament will be played April 29^th through May 2^nd.

 

Results

Singles

Lisa Mertz (HSU) def. Megan Aarhus (UMHB) 6-4, 6-2

Mallory Aarhus (UMHB) def. Lauren Jay (HSU) 6-2, 6-4

Rebecca Everett (UMHB) def. Jennifer Cheung (HSU) 5-7, 6-0, 6-2

Angie Nhan (HSU) def. Megan Richardson (UMHB) 6-1, 6-3

Genene Haddad (HSU) def. Lauren Knight (UMHB) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3

AshLee Bilbo (UMHB) def. Danielle Cochran (HSU) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4

 

Doubles

Aarhus/Aarhus (UMHB) def. Cheung/Mertz (HSU) 9-8(4)

Haddad/Jay (HSU) def. Bilbo/Everett (UMHB) 8-4