DENTON, Texas – The Lamar University women's tennis team ended its three-match road swing to start the 2017 campaign Sunday afternoon at North Texas, but it didn't end the way head coach David Wong and his team were hoping. The Cardinals dropped a 6-1 decision to North Texas at the Waranch Tennis Complex.
 
The duo of freshman Jasmin Buchta and junior Hanna Elfving got out to a strong start at No. 3 doubles building a 5-3 advantage, and were up 40-15 in the ninth game but didn't have a chance to close out the set. The match at No. 3 doubles was suspended after UNT picked up wins on courts one and two for the point.
 
Buchta continued her strong play in singles by picking up a first-set victory in the tiebreak. It was one of three sets that would be forced to a tiebreak on the afternoon. Buchta would go on to win her match over Alexis Thoma, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, by the time Buchta had recorded her win the Mean Green had already picked up the overall victory by taking the first five singles decisions.
 
Senior Talisa Merchiers forced her match to a third set before the outcome was decided. Merchiers won the opening set decisively, 6-1, but UNT's Haruka Sasaki battled back to win the second set, 6-2. The super tiebreak would be much closer than the first two set as the match was decided by a mere three points. The Mean Green came out on top in the match with a 10-7 decision in the super tiebreak.
 
The Cardinals will now have nearly two weeks to prepare for their home opener against Alcorn State. The match against the Lady Braves is a scheduled doubleheader that will begin at 10 a.m. with the second to follow at 2 p.m. Both matches will be played at the Thompson Family Tennis Center  in Beaumont.
 
-LU CARDINALS-