Coyote women loses to St. Joseph�s

Coyote women loses to St. Joseph��?s The University of South Dakota women's tennis team battled tough in several matches against Division I foe St. Joseph's (PA) but fell short Monday, losing 7-0 in a matchup in Orlando, FL. USD (4-5) won at No. 3 doubles, with Janea Hagen (So., Bellevue, NE) and Melanie Rockne (Jr., Yankton) teaming up for an 8-2 win. "They did a nice job," Coyote head coach Malcolm Gilreath said. However, under Division I scoring, the only team point awarded for doubles goes to the team winning two out of the three matches, and St. Joseph's prevailed at both No. 1 and No. 2 doubles. USD lost a heartbreaking 9-8 (8-6 tiebreaker) match at No. 1 doubles, with Shadi Soleymani (Fr., Vasteras, Sweden) and Rijalda Zejnic (Jr., Hamilton, Ontario) falling just short in that match. Soleymani also fought hard in her match at No. 1 singles and pushed the match to a third-set super tiebreaker before falling, 12-10. "We competed well," Gilreath said. "Three of the matches could've gone either way. This was a Division I opponent, and it shows we can compete at this level." USD was without No. 2 singles players Isabel Nunez (Fr., Oakville, Ontario), who was out with an illness. St. Joseph's (PA) 7, South Dakota 0 Doubles No. 1- Jennifer Kedzierski/Laura Matz (SJ) def. Shadi Soleymani/Rijalda Zejnic (USD), 9-8 (8-6 tiebreaker) No. 2-Maggie Mullaney/Krysta Contino (SJ) def. Ashley Waltman/Kaitlyn Deragisch (USD), 8-2 No. 3-Janea Hagen/Melanie Rockne (USD) def. Erin Malafronte/Courtney Scardellete (SJ), 8-2 Singles No. 1-Kedzierski (SJ) def. Soleymani (USD), 6-1, 1-6, 12-10 (third set supertiebreaker) No. 2-Mullaney (SJ) def. Zejnic (USD), 7-5, 6-3 No. 3-Matz (SJ) def. Hagen (USD), 6-1, 6-0 No. 4-Sally Kalani Stainier (SJ) def. Rockne (USD), 6-3, 6-2 No. 5-Contino (SJ) def. Waltman (USD), 6-2, 6-3 No. 6-Katy Borden (SJ) def. Jessica Burchill (USD), 6-3, 6-3. Scoring note: The winner of two out of the three doubles matches receives one team point in Division I scoring.