• Roster
• |
• Schedule/Results
• |
• Stats
• |
• News
• |
• Archives

April 28, 2012

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -

Fourth-seeded Texas (16-7) dropped the doubles point but rallied behind sin gles wins from Lina Padegimaite, Aeriel Ellis, Elizabeth Begley and Krista Damico to post a 4-1 win over top-seeded Texas Tech (19-5) Saturday in the semifinals of the 2012 Big 12 Championship.

The Longhorns advance to the finals at the Big 12 Championship for the 15th time in the event's 16-year history and for the eighth consecutive season. Texas will meet host Texas A&M in Sunday's final. The third-seeded Aggies edged second-seeded Baylor, 4-3 in the other semifinal. First serve is set for noon central at A&M's Mitchell Tennis Center.

Texas Tech opened the match with victories at the first and third doubles slots to assume a 1-0 lead. At first doubles, Tech's 28th-ranked tandem of Samantha Adams and Kenna Kilgo broke Texas's Lina Padegimaite and Noel Scott twice and assumed a 4-0 lead. The Horns broke back in the following game, but Tech went on to claim an 8-3 victory.

At third doubles, a pair of early service breaks from Tech's Rashmi Teltumbde and Elizabeth Ullathorne put the Lady Raiders into a 4-1 lead over the Horns' Elizabeth Begley and Aeriel Ellis. Trailing 7-3, UT's Begley and Ellis saved multiple match points and broke the Lady Raiders to pull within 7-4. But, Texas Tech broke UT's serve in the following game to nail down an 8-4 win and clinch the doubles point. Texas' Krista Damico and Cierra Gaytan-Leach held a 7-6 match lead and a 30-love lead in the final game over Tech's Nikki Sanders and Caroline Starck at second doubles, but the match was called when Tech won its second match to clinch the doubles point.

Texas, however, yielded nothing further in singles play. At fourth singles, Padegimaite broke for a 4-3 lead against Tech's Starck and held serve the rest of the way to take the set, 6-4. Padegimaite, who has yet to lose to a conference foe this season, broke Starck early in the second set en route to a 6-2 second- set win that gave her the win and evened the match at one.

Texas' Ellis broke the serve of Tech's Ullathorne early on at first singles and cruised to a 6-2 opening-set win. Ellis collected an early break in the second set and held serve through the remainder of the match to claim the second set, 6-4 and give Texas a 2-1 lead it would not surrender.

UT's Begley, who joined Padegimaite to go undefeated in conference play, broke Tech's Sanders to take a 5-3 lead in their first set at sixth singles. Sanders broke Begley's serve to close within 5-4, but Begley returned the favor and broke Sanders once more to take the set, 6-4. Begley broke Sanders to take a 3- 1 second-set lead, and Begley held serve the remainder of the match to win, 6-3 and stake Texas to a 3-1 lead.

Ultimately, the deciding point came courtesy of UT's lone senior, Damico, at No. 2 singles. Trailing 4-2 in the first set, Damico held serve and broke the serve of Tech's 104th-ranked Adams to even the set at four games all. Adams broke Damico to claim a 5-4 lead, but Damico broke Adams, held serve and broke Adams once more to outlast Adams in the first set, 7-5.

Damico followed a similar path to grab the second set that gave Texas the victory. Adams broke for a 4- 3 lead, but Damico broke Adams and held serve for a 5-4 lead. Moments after Begley finished off her victory, Damico broke Adams' serve one more time to take the set, 6-4 and deliver the 4-1 win to the Longhorns. The remaining matches at the third and fifth singles slots were suspended.

POST-MATCH COMMENTS
Texas head coach Patty Fendick-McCain
On the doubles results
They (Texas Tech) are a very good doubles team. The last time we played them, we didn't get to play doubles, so we didn't get a look at it. They kind of had the advantage there, and for us it was just one of those things where we just had to grind it out in singles. We knew that coming in, so it wasn't a surprise for us. It would have been a bonus had we won the doubles point.

On the key to winning Sunday's Big 12 title match
We have to play better in doubles. Tech is a really good doubles team, but we really didn't play well. We did not step up and attack when we should have attacked. We let a couple slip away, so it would have been nice to see what would have happened had we really come to play. Tomorrow we have to come to play. It is a free-for-all at this point. There is a lot of pressure on all of these kids. It is just about who is going to manage it well and who is going to be able to concentrate and make the shots and execute.

On the four singles winners
Aeriel (Ellis) is finding her form. It's good to see her playing well and getting it done. Lina (Padegimaite) is just getting stronger and stronger every day. (Elizabeth) Begley is just a fighter. Krista (Damico) found another gear out there. She was a little sluggish in the beginning of the match, and then she just found a whole different gear. That was great to see.

Texas senior Krista Damico
On turning the second set around at No. 2 singles
I hadn't played well the entire match, and I knew it would come down to fighting and who wanted it more. I knew that it eventually could come down to my match. I definitely wanted to step up my game a little bit and try to be more aggressive, especially when the wind was behind me. I tried to stay as mentally tough as possible and I remembered to stick to my game plan.

On helping Texas reach the Big 12 Championship final for an eighth consecutive season
It means a lot. It's definitely bittersweet for us. We wanted to be the No. 1 seed here, so it felt good to take them out. We know we have a really tough final no matter who we play tomorrow. Being a senior, this is right where we want to be, in the championship match. It's the exact position we had in mind.

2012 Big 12 Championship - Semifinals
(4) Texas 4, (1) Texas Tech 1
Doubles - Order of Finish: 1, 3
1 #28 Samantha Adams/Kenna Kilgo (TTU) def. #55 Lina Padegimaite/Noel Scott (UT) - 8-3
2 Krista Damico/Cierra Gaytan-Leach (UT) vs. Nikki Sanders/Caroline Starck (TTU) - 7-6, susp.
3 Rashmi Teltumbde/Elizabeth Ullathorne (TTU) def. Elizabeth Begley/Aeriel Ellis (UT) - 8-4
Singles - Order of Finish: 4, 1, 6, 2
1 #38 Aeriel Ellis (UT) def. Elizabeth Ullathorne (TTU) - 6-2, 6-4
2 #67 Krista Damico (UT) def. #104 Samantha Adams (TTU) - 7-5, 6-4
3 Noel Scott (UT) vs. Rashmi Teltumbde (TTU) - 3-6, 6-4, 0-2, susp.
4 Lina Padegimaite (UT) def. Caroline Starck (TTU) - 6-4, 6-2
5 Cierra Gaytan-Leach (UT) vs. Kenna Kilgo (TTU) - 5-7, 6-2, 1-4, susp.
6 Elizabeth Begley (UT) def. Nikki Sanders (TTU) - 6-4, 6-3