Maynetto took a moment to calm her nerves before her decisive third set, and she feels that made a difference.
“Things didn’t really go my way in that second set, so I just took a quick little break,” Maynetto said. “I just kind of got myself together, changed my game plan, and just tried to build my confidence up again. I started as a fresh new set, and I felt back on track.”
Maynetto’s teammates weren’t the only ones cheering her on to victory. The fans attending the match were loud, supportive and showed up in droves to watch the team play.
The No. 15 Crimson Tide earned an emotional 4-3 match win against No. 40 Texas to advance to the ITA National Women’s Team Indoor Championship in Madison, Wisconsin.
The facility was packed to beyond capacity with loyal fans for the second day straight. Everyone, including the Alabama team, was decked out in pink in support of Alabama’s Power of Pink initiative. The match was tight, close and full of noise. Junior Joanna Nena Savva roared in triumph with every key point she won. The crowd cheered with every single point earned by the Crimson Tide and broke out in shouts after every point lost. Players from both Texas and Alabama were heard above all, cheering on their teammates. Everyone did their part to support the Crimson Tide.
“We are so united,” Savva said about her team and the fans. “We literally are a family. The fans definitely were great. I was feeling their love, feeling their energy. It was just an amazing family feeling from everyone.”
It certainly took everyone to win this one, and both teams gave it everything they had. It started with Alabama taking the doubles point. Sophomores Aryn Greene and Bennett Dunn took their match 6-0, and Texas answered by handing freshman Andie Daniell and junior Erin Routliffe a 6-2 defeat to even it up. The Crimson Tide won it with Savva and junior Danielle Spielmann taking the third match 6-2.
The singles matches did not let up one bit in intensity. Texas evened the score in handing Dunn a 6-1, 6-1 defeat. Savva delivered a 7-5, 6-2 win to retake the lead before Routliffe fell 6-3, 6-4 to tie it back up at two points each.
From there, the matches only got harder to win. All three remaining matches went to three sets. First off, Daniell gave the Crimson Tide a 3-2 lead with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 win. Texas answered, with Spielmann’s opponent holding off a big rally from Spielmann to prevail 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.
Coach Jenny Mainz could not have been more
