The University of Southern Mississippi women’s tennis team defeated Tulane 4-3 Tuesday at the USM Tennis Complex, marking the program’s first victory over the Green Wave. The Golden Eagles improved to 8-7 overall and 1-2 in Sun Belt Conference play with the win, which snapped a 0-10 losing streak against Tulane, according to school officials.
Southern Miss took an early lead by winning the doubles point. Kamornwan Kornsila and Pimmada Lim defeated Diana Badalyan and Leigh Van Zyl 6-1 at No. 3 doubles, while Hannah Chambers and Miranda Xu won 6-3 at No. 2. Tulane responded with a 6-4 win at No. 1 doubles, but the Golden Eagles carried a 1-0 advantage into singles play.
Tulane quickly regained momentum with straight-set victories at Nos. 1 and 5 singles, moving ahead 2-1. Campbell Ricci beat Angelina Blinova 6-2, 6-2 at No. 1, and Micah Pierce defeated Kornsila 6-1, 6-3 at No. 5. Southern Miss rallied with three singles wins. Hannah Chambers defeated Leigh Van Zyl 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) at No. 3, and Sakura Sudo edged Summer Chandler 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 at No. 2 to put the team ahead again.
The clincher came from Miranda Xu at No. 4 singles, who overcame an opening-set loss to beat Natalia Perez 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. The victory marked the final home match for Blinova, who was honored before the match. The win also capped Southern Miss’s home season on Senior Day.
The team now prepares for its final two regular-season matches, traveling to UAB on April 10 and Nicholls on April 12, according to school officials.
