University of Georgia Athletics
Coppoc Shines as Bulldogs Open Season in the Battle of the Bay
September 17, 2021 | Women's Tennis
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. — Two Bulldogs notched singles wins and both tandems registered a doubles victory Friday in the opening rounds of the Battle of the Bay.
Graduate Morgan Coppoc and senior Meg Kowalski each opened the Battle of the Bay in winning fashion. Kowalski, the No. 1 seed, defeated Megan Forster of Colorado in straight sets, while the No. 3 seed, Coppoc, took down Southern California's Leyden Games in a third-set tie-breaker. Freshmen Guillermina Grant and Mai Nirundorn showed spurts of promise but fell in their collegiate debuts.
In the Round of 16, Coppoc entered an exhilarating match with Colorado's Caroline Pozo. After falling in the opening set, Coppoc battled back to take set two, 7-5. She followed it up with a 14-12 tiebreaker to advance to the quarterfinals. Pacific's Klara Kosan defeated Kowalski in a heartbreaking third set tie-breaker, 10-7.
Coppoc, a native of Tulsa, Okla., faced Anastasia Iamachkine of Pepperdine in the quarterfinals Friday evening. Adding to a day of dominance, Coppoc defeated Iamachkine in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3. She will face Paola Exposito Diaz Delgado of VCU in the Semifinal's tomorrow (Sept. 18).
In doubles, No. 1 seeds Grant and Kowalski dispatched the Colorado tandem of Campos and Bui 8-2. Coppoc and Nirundorn teamed up to defeat the No. 4 seeds McBride and Desiatnikov (San Diego) 8-3. Both Bulldogs squads will take the court tomorrow (Sept. 18) in the quarterfinals.
"We came to this event to find our starting point for the fall and to see where we need to learn and grow moving forward," said Georgia associate head coach Drake Bernstein. "I think after day one, all four of our girls had areas they could improve in whether it be mental or physical and all four came out today and took a step forward."
"Our freshmen are incredible. They bring a tremendous energy not only to their own court, but to our whole team. They are bought in to being Bulldogs and have incredibly bright futures ahead of them. I am excited for our fans at home to get to see them compete later in the fall in Athens," Bernstein said.
"Morgan has played better and better with each match here. We are looking forward to seeing her take on another tough challenge tomorrow," Bernstein said.
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Bulldogs by following UGA Women's Tennis on Twitter @UGAWomensTennis, on Instagram @UGAWomensTennis, and on Facebook @GeorgiaWomensTennis or check out information online at www.georgiadogs.com.
SATURDAY'S SLATE
Singles Semifinals
Morgan Coppoc (Georgia) vs Paola Exposito Diaz Delgado (VCU)
Doubles Quarterfinal
G. Grant / M. Kowalski (Georgia) vs M. Martinez Vaquero / C. Mushika (USF)
M. Coppoc / M. Nirundorn (Georgia) vs P. Exposito Diaz Delgado / N. Sorkin (VCU)
RESULTS
Singles Round of 32
Meg Kowalski (Georgia) def. Megan Forster (Colorado) 6-1, 6-2
Abigail Desiatnikov (San Diego) def. Mai Nirundorn (Georgia) 6-2, 6-2
Morgan Coppoc (Georgia) def. Leyden Games (USC) 2-6, 7-5, 1-0 (10-5)
Paola Exposito Diaz Delgado (VCU) def. Guillermina Grant (Georgia) 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 (10-6)
Singles Round of 16
Klara Kosan (Pacific) def. Meg Kowalski 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-7)
Morgan Coppoc (Georgia) def. Caroline Pozo (Colorado) 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 (14-12)
Singles Quarterfinals
Morgan Coppoc (Georgia) def. Anastasia Iamachkine (Pepperdine) 6-2, 6-3
Doubles Round of 16 Friday
G. Grant / M. Kowalski (Georgia) def. M. Campos / M. Bui (Colorado) 8-2
M. Coppoc / M. Nirundorn (Georgia) def. No. 4 Seed J. McBride / A. Desiatnikov (San Diego) 8-3
Players Mentioned
