The Sam Houston State University tennis program concluded their 2016 season over the weekend.
The Bearkats fell to both Stephen F. Austin and Northwestern State University 5-2.
On Sunday the Bearkats took on the NSU Demons in Natchitoches where sophomore Fabienne Gettwar, in the first singles position, defeated senior Natalya Krutova in a three game set 6-2, 2-6, and 7-5.
That was her 11th victory of the dual match season and senior Maddie Mortimore won her 63rd singles match in a straight set and in the sixth position against sophomore Alzbeta Veverkova 6-1 and 6-2.
Mortimore finished her four years as a Bearkat ranked third in SHSU all-time women’s singles victories and earned a season record of 26-7.
That also includes dual match play and 2015-2016 tournaments. The senior’s 26th victory ties her in third place for the highest wins from a Bearkat in a single season.
Sophomores Carrie Casey, Mila Milanovic and Khee Yen Wee were defeated by the Demons in straight sets while freshman Ema Barkovic was topped in a three set match.
“We all saw how tough the players and teams in our conference are and competing against teams that were ready to give all they had to succeed was a tough fight,” Gettwart said. “It is big motivation for the fall to get ready to challenge the conference teams next spring.”
On Saturday the Bearkats took on the SFA Lumberjacks where Wee and Barkovic were both victorious in their singles matches.
In the third position Barkovic topped Lauren Hidalgo-Smith in a three game set 6-4, 2-6 and 6-4 while Wee defeated senior Valeria Terentyeva in the number four singles after she won the super tiebreaker 13-11.
Mortimore, Gettwart, Casey and Milanovic all fell to their opponents in straight sets in the singles competition.
“I had a tough match on Saturday,” Mortimore said. “ The (SFA) coach had seen me play at three tournaments in the fall and had a very good plan for his player to play me but I refused to let that affect my positive mind.”
The Bearkat tennis program concluded the season ranked 10th in the Southland conference and had an overall season record of 7-13 and 2-9 in conference play.
Milanovic and Gettwart both ended the season with a record of 11-9 while Barkovic went 9-11 and Casey 7-13.
