Tennis Puts Up Strong Fight in NIT Loss to Liberty

Box Score BRADENTON, Fla. - App State Tennis went toe-to-toe with Liberty in the quarterfinal round of the NIT on Monday, but the fifth-seeded Mountaineers fell 4-3 to the fourth-seeded Flames.
 
App State (15-11) picked up three wins in singles action after falling behind 2-0 early into the match. 
 
Ellie Murphy put App State on the board with a 6-3, 7-6 [7-5] victory over Sadie Daavettila for her first singles victory after missing most of the season due to injury. The Ireland native's win came on Court 6,  decreasing the deficit to 2-1. 
 
Savannah Dada-Mascoll capped a 21-2 season at the No. 1 singles spot with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Maria Juliana Parra Romero. 
 
Naledi Manyube garnered her 13th win in her first collegiate season for the Black and Gold. The South African defeated Maria Carolina Ferreira 7-6 [7-4], 1-6, 6-3 as she tied the match at 3-3 on Court 5 to keep the Mountaineers' season alive.
 
The Flames (18-6) clinched the win with a 6-3, 6-7 [6-8], 6-3 victory on Court 2. 
 
Liberty jumped out to an early lead after taking two of three matches on the doubles courts. The Flames won Courts 1 and 3 by identical 6-2 scores and received an early 6-0, 6-0 sweep in singles on Court 3.
 
The Flames were able to withstand the Mountaineer pressure as they picked up a win on Court 4, then the decisive win on Court 2, sending them to the semifinal round of the tournament. 
 
In her first season as App State's head coach, Hannah Fetters led the team to a 15-win mark that tied the program's highest total as a Sun Belt Conference member and a 9-6 record against Sun Belt Conference foes, with an appearance in the conference championship match as a No. 7 seed. 
 
Fetters coached Dada-Mascoll and Taya Powell to SBC Player of the Week honors, while Dada-Mascoll was later named a SBC first-team selection for the second straight year. 
 
The 2023-24 tennis season was presented by Hound Ears Club. 
 
(4) Liberty 4, (5) App State 3
 
Doubles

• Tiffany Nguyen/Maria Juliana Parra Romero (LU) def. Savannah Dada-Mascoll/Ellie Murphy (App) 6-2
• Taya Powell/Olwyn Ryan-Bovey (App) vs Daniella O'Neill/Maria Turchetto (LU) 5-4 [unfinished]
• Marina Davtyan/Esther Lovato (LU) def. Naledi Manyube/Maggie Pate (App) 6-2 

Singles

• Savannah Dada-Mascoll (App) def. Maria Juliana Parra Romero (LU) 7-5, 6-4
• Tiffany Nguyen (LU) def. Taya Powell (App) 6-3, 6-7 [6-8], 6-3
• Esther Lovato (LU) def. Olwyn Ryan-Bovey (App) 6-0, 6-0
• Daniella O'Neill (LU) def. Maggie Pate (App) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
• Naledi Manyube (App) def. Maria Carolina Ferreira (LU) 7-6 [7-4] 1-6, 6-3
• Ellie Murphy (App) def. Sadie Daavettila (LU) 6-3, 7-6 [7-5]