Box Score

THIBODAUX, LA–Fourth-seeded NJIT fought to the very end with top-seeded Texas A&M Corpus Christi, coming up short in the Southland Conference Semifinals, 4-3, Thursday evening at The Thibodaux Regional Sports Complex.

NJIT got things going quickly in doubles action, earning the point with wins at second and third doubles to take a 1-0 lead.  Both Highlander tandems – Arina Babkova and Shalom Salvi (2nd doubles) and Feyza Aydin and Paula Menendez Alvarez (3rd doubles) recorded 6-1 victories.

Texas A&M Corpus Christi evened the match at 1-1 with a straight set win at third singles and went ahead 3-1 with wins at first and sixth singles.

NJIT rallied back to make the score 3-2 with a straight set victory by Arina Bobkova at fifth singles, 6-3, 7-6 (9) and knotted the match at 3-3 in a battle at second singles where Paula Menendez Alvarez won the three set title, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3.

The match came down to fourth singles which featured NJIT's Irene Cocero and Texas A&M Corpus Christi Kseniya Ramanouskaya.  Ramanouskaya won the first set 6-2 but NJIT's Cocero came back to earn a 6-4 victory in the second frame, forcing a third set.  Both players battled back and forth throughout the set with Ramanouskaya coming out on top, 6-4, to secure the final point for top-seeded Texas A&M Corpus Christi and earn the 4-3 edge over the fourth-seeded Highlanders.

Notes
–Fourth consecutive trip to the Southland Conference Tournament
–Second Southland Conference Semifinal Appearance 
–Fourth straight season double-digit victories
–Perfect 9-0 at home inside The Naimoli Family Athletic and Recreational Facility
​--Laura Wipfli & Irene Cocero were crowned the Southland Conference Doubles Champions at the 2024 Southland Conference Individual Tennis Championships ​and advanced to the 2024 ITA Masters Championships