HOUSTON — No. 2 seed and 60th-ranked Marshall ended UTSA's season with a 4-1 victory in Friday's quarterfinals of the Conference USA Tournament.
The Thundering Herd (15-7) won the first two completed doubles contests to take an early 1-0 lead.
Rachael Morales and Maddie Silver downed Daniela Garcia-Diaz and Lina Hallgren on court No. 3 by a score of 8-2 and that was followed by an 8-4 victory by Marija Bogicevic and Kai Broomfield against Nicole Karaklis and Alena Shichkova at the second position in the lineup.
Hallgren gave the Roadrunners (11-13) hope when she tied things up at one with her 6-3, 6-1 triumph against Bogicevic on the fifth singles court, but Marshall went on to clinch a berth in Saturday's semifinals with victories at the Nos. 6, 3 and 2 spots.
Morales defeated Irene Gandara Gonzalez in straight sets at the No. 6 spot (6-2, 6-1) and Silver folliowed suit against Alena Shichkova on court three (6-2, 6-3). Anna Pomyatinskaya then rallied past Jacobea Junger by a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 at the second position to give the Thundering Herd a win in the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
#60 Marshall 4, UTSA 1
Doubles
1. Pomyatinskaya/Turhan (MU) vs. Junger/Rosell Canudas (UTSA) 6-5, unfinished
2. Bogicevic/Broomfield (MU) def. Karaklis/Shichkova (UTSA) 8-4
3. Morales/Silver (MU) def. Garcia-Diaz/Hallgren (UTSA) 8-2
Singles
1. Derya Turhan (MU) vs. Miriam Rosell Canudas (UTSA) 6-3, 6-3, 5-4, unfinished
2. Anna Pomyatinskaya (MU) def. Jacobea Junger (UTSA) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
3. Maddie Silver (MU) def. Alena Shichkova (UTSA) 6-2, 6-3
4. Kai Broomfield (MU) vs. Nicole Karaklis (UTSA) 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, unfinished
5. Lina Hallgren (UTSA) def. Marija Bogicevic (MU) 6-3, 6-1
6. Rachael Morales (MU) def. Irene Gandara Gonzalez (UTSA) 6-2, 6-1
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (5,6,3,2)