DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Savannah State University women's tennis team (2-12, 0-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) fell to Bethune-Cookman University (7-6, 3-0 MEAC) 5-2 Thursday at the City Island Tennis Center.
 
Freshman Shakendra Alston won her match by default to tie the match at one, while junior Sansriti Ranjan won her singles match at the No. 4 position 6-1, 6-4 over Karen Romero to cut the lead to 4-2.

After freshman Ekaterina Vorobeva and Alston won at the No. 3 doubles position from default to give the Lady Tigers an early 1-0 lead in the doubles point, Bethune-Cookman won the other two doubles to win the point and to take an early 1-0 lead. 
 
BCU tied the doubles point after Alejandra Vidal and Romero defeated freshman Sofia Shut'ko and senior Rachida El Kateb 6-0 at the No. 2 position and the Wildcats won the point after Matea Roki and Rehaana Butt defeated freshman Muskaan Ranjan and Sansriti Ranjan 6-2 at the No. 1 doubles position.
 
Then Alston tied it up at one at the No. 6 singles position, but the Wildcats took a 2-1 lead after Vidal defeated Muskaan Ranjan 6-0, 6-2 at the No. 3 singles position and took a 3-1 lead after Roki defeated Vorobeva 6-0, 6-0 at the No. 1 singles position.
 
Bethune-Cookman clinched the match after Butt defeated Shut'ko 6-0, 6-1 at the No. 2 singles position, but Sansriti Ranjan win at the No. 4 singles position cut the lead to 4-2.  El Kateb won the first set 7-5, but fell in the second set 6-2 to Phatsimo Ruele to force a tiebreaker.  In the tiebreaker, Ruele defeated El Kateb 10-7 to give the Wildcats the three point win.
 
The Lady Tigers continue the four match roadstand with two matches in North Carolina with North Carolina A&T State University Sunday at noon in Greensboro and North Carolina Central University at 1 p.m. Monday.
 
Bethune-Cookman 5, Savannah State 2
Singles
1. Matea Roki (BCU) d. Ekaterina Vorobeva (SSU) 6-0, 6-0
2. Rehaana Butt (BCU) d. Sofia Shut'ko (SSU) 6-0, 6-1
3. Alejandra Vidal (BCU) d. Muskaan Ranjan (SSU) 6-0, 6-2
4. Sansriti Ranjan (SSU) d. Karen Romero (BCU) 6-1, 6-4
5. Phatsimo Ruele (BCU) d. Rachida El Kateb (SSU) 5-7, 6-2, 1-0 (7)
6. Shakendra Alston (SSU) d. No Player (BCU) by default
Order of Finish (6,3,1,2,4,5)
 
Doubles
1. Matea Roki/Rehaana Butt (BCU) d. Muskaan Ranjan/Sansriti Ranjan (SSU) 6-2
2. Alejandra Vidal/Karen Romero (BCU) d. Sofia Shut'ko/Rachida El Kateb (SSU) 6-0
3. Ekaterina Vorobeva/Shakendra Alston (SSU) d. No Player/No Player (BCU) by default
Order of Finish (3,2,1)
 
Tigers Online
www.ssuathletics.com
Twitter | @savstatetigers
Facebook | Instagram