DENTON, Texas – The No. 41-ranked Charlotte 49ers women's tennis team had its nine-match winning streak snapped with a 4-0 loss to No. 71 Rice on Saturday afternoon (March 12).
 
The loss dropped the Niners to 11-3 on the year and 1-1 in Conference USA play while Rice improved to 8-3 and 2-0 in C-USA action.
 
The Owls took the doubles point with wins at the first and third flights in a pair of tight battles, 7-5 and 6-4, respectively. The Niners' middle pairing of Ruxi Schech and Kaavya Sawhney was ahead 5-4 when the point was clinched. Rice added to its lead with a pair of 6-1 wins in the fifth spot at singles and a couple of 6-3 sets at the top spot. The Owls secured the match with a three-set victory in the third spot, 6-4, 5-7, 6-1.
 
Emma Wilkins was ahead in her match at the sixth spot when the fourth and final point was clinched while Schech was in the third set in the second flight.
 
RESULTS
Doubles

1. #30 Budin/El Jardi (RICE) def. #31 Maquet/Quiterio (CLT) 7-5
2. Schech/Sawhney (CLT) vs. A. Smirnova/Zipoli (RICE) 5-4 (unfinished)
3. V. Smirnova/Trevisan (RICE) def. Safont/Petruzelova (CLT) 6-4

Order of finish: 3, 1*
 
Singles

1. Victoria Smirnova (RICE) def. #120 Margaux Maquet (CLT) 6-3, 6-3
2. Ruxi Schech (CLT) vs. Federica Trevisan (RICE) 6-4, 5-7, 1-1 (unfinished)
3. Anastasia Smirnova (RICE) def. Lucia Quiterio (CLT) 6-4, 5-7, 6-1
4. Allison Zipoli (RICE) vs. Rocio Safont (CLT) 7-5, 4-4 (unfinished)
5. Anna Bowtell (RICE) def. Lucie Petruzelova (CLT) 6-1, 6-1
6. Emma Wilkins (CLT) vs. Maria Budin (RICE) 6-4, 6-5 (unfinished)

Order of finish: 5, 1, 3*
 
UP NEXT
Charlotte returns home for the first of three straight in the Queen City next Sunday (March 20) when Furman visits.