University of Houston Athletics
University of Houston
<b> Cougar Fall Draw
Gomez Wins Red Singles Flight at Cougar Fall Draw
10/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
Oct. 8, 2006
HOUSTON - Loli Gomez notched a hard-fought 6-4, 2-6, 1-0 (15-13) to win the red singles flight on the final day of the Cougar Fall Draw Sunday afternoon at Hoff Courts.
The Spaniard fought off a pair of match points in the super tiebreak to secure the championship.
"I was really impressed with Loli's determination and heart not only in this match but the entire weekend," head coach John Severance said. "She's more mentally tough and fit this season and that shows in her grinding out some tough victories in an extremely difficult red singles flight."
Neila Starratt came up short falling 6-4, 6-2 in the blue singles flight final but Severance was also impressed with Starratt's opening act as a Cougar.
"I was pleasantly surprised with Neila's maturity and how quickly she has adapted to the college game," Severance said. "She's playing the highest percentage of tennis on our team and it's showing in her demeanor on the court. She still has a lot to learn and improve on."
The Cougars notched a 4-3 mark in consolation matches. Anna Djananova came away with two victories, while Rebecca Franzi and Sonja Nikolic also earned a pair of strong straight set wins.
Houston returns to action at the ITA Regional Tournament on Oct. 19-24 hosted by TCU.
"This was a very good start to the 2006-07 season," Severance said. "The only fallback was our doubles play but we made up for it with our singles. Everyone on our team knows how that the most important fall tournament is the ITA. We'll correct our mistakes and prepare accordingly for the road ahead."
Players Mentioned
