Mid-American Conference

MAC Women's Tennis Scoreboard

Thursday, February 12
Northern Illinois 6, Milwaukee 1

Friday, February 13
Ball State 7, Bradley 0
Cleveland State 5, Bowling Green 2
Michigan State 5, Western Michigan 2
Toledo 5, Cincinnati 2
Wisconsin 7, Akron 0

Saturday, February 14
Cincinnati 6, Bowling Green 1
Pittsburgh 6, Eastern Michigan 1
Miami 5, Furman 2
Utah State 4, Akron 3
Western Michigan 6, Oakland 1

Sunday, February 15
Ball State 6, Cleveland State 1
Georgia State 6, Miami 1
Toledo 5, IPFW 2
West Virginia 7, Eastern Michigan 0


Akron:

Zips Drop Close Match To Utah State, 4-3

MADISON, Wis. — The University of Akron women's tennis team battled to a 4-3 loss to Utah State on Saturday afternoon at Wisconsin's Nielsen Tennis Stadium.  The Zips fell to 5-4 overall, while the Aggies improved to 6-2 overall.  Akron loss the doubles point as Utah State swept all three matches.

"We came out extremely flat in doubles on a couple of courts, but had two new pairings playing together due to injury issues," head coach Brandon Padgett said. "Madison and Karolina played well for their first time together. Singles was much better, and we had opportunities to win the team match. Our freshmen rebounded nicely from doubles and played very strong in singles."

In singles play, the Zips claimed three wins. At No. 4 singles, senior Olga Shkundina (Ufa, Russia) rebounded to defeat Lexi Turley, 0-6, 6-1, 6-0. At No. 5 singles, freshman Sophia Geier (Burgebrach, Germany) came back to overcome Meghan Lyall, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. And at the No. 6 spot, freshman Ariadna Blinova (Riga, Latvia) beat Sabrina Demerath, 7-5, 6-4.

"Utah State was nationally ranked last week (#61), so I am happy to see us compete at this level, especially after yesterday's poor play," he added.

Akron returns home to the LaTuchie Tennis Center for two matches on Friday, Feb. 20. The Zips open with Cleveland State at 2 p.m., followed by a match with Findlay at 7 p.m.

UTAH STATE 4, AKRON 3 - February 14, 2015
Doubles:
1. Lexi Turley / Kallie Sperry (USU) def. Sophia Geier / Martina Zerbola, 6-0
2. McKenzie Davis /Maggie O'Meara (USU) def. Madison Cohen / Karolina Maksimova, 7-6 (5)
3. Nini Guensler / Meghan Lyall (USU) def. Ariadna Blinova/ Maria Bessmertnaya, 6-1

Singles:
1. McKenzie Davis (USU) def. Karolina Maksimova, 6-0, 6-0
2. Nini Guensler (US) def. Madison Cohen, 7-6 (5), 6-4
3. Kallie Sperry (USU) def. Martina Zerbola, 7-5, 7-5
4. Olga Shkundina (UA) def. Lexi Turley, 0-6, 6-1, 6-0
5. Sophia Geier (UA) def. Meghan Lyall, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
6. Ariadna Blinova (UA) def. Sabrina Demerath, 7-5, 6-4

Order of finish:
Doubles– 1, 3, 2
Singles– 1, 4, 6, 3, 2, 5


Women's Tennis Falls At Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. — The University of Akron women's tennis team dropped a 7-0 decision at Wisconsin on Friday evening at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium.  The Zips fell to 5-3 overall, while the Badgers improved to 3-2 overall.

"It was an exciting environment to play in, but I'm disappointed in the lack of maturity that was shown on a few courts today," head coach Brandon Padgett said. "Losing three matches in third-set tiebreakers is tough, but we have to do more to put ourselves in position to win."

In doubles action, junior Martina Zerbola (Neuquen, Argentina) and freshman Sophia Geier (Burgebrach, Germany) claimed the only win for the Zips on the day with an 8-6 victory over Lauren Burich and Kelsey Grambeau at the No. 1 spot.

In singles play, Wisconsin swept UA although Zerbola, Geier, and freshman Ariadna Blinova (Riga, Latvia) each battled through third-set tie breakers.

WISONSIN 7, AKRON 0 - February 13, 2015

Doubles:
1. Sophia Geier / Martina Zerbola (UA) def. Lauren Burich / Kelsey Grambeau, 8-6
2. Lauren Chypyha / Maria Avgerinos (UW) def. Olga Shkundina / Karolina Maksimova, 8-3
3. Ekterina Stepanova / Sydney Rider def. Madison Cohen / Ariadna Blinova, 8-2

Singles:
1. Lauren Chypyha (UW) def. Madison Cohen, 6-0, 6-0
2. Maria Avgerinos (UW) def. Karolina Maksimova, 6-3, 6-1
3. Sydney Rider (UW) def. Martina Zerbola, 6-7 (6-3), 6-1, 1-0 (2)
4. Lauren Burich (UW) def. Olga Shkundina, 6-3, 2-1, def. injury
5. Kelsey Grambeau (UW) def. Sophia Geier, 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 (10-5)
6. Ekaterina Stepanova (UW) def. Ariadna Blinova, 6-2, 5-7, 1-0 (7)

Order of finish:
Doubles– 3, 2, 1
Singles– 1, 4, 2, 5, 6, 3


Ball State:

Cardinals Claim 6-1 Win Over Cleveland State

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Ball State women's tennis team improved to 5-2 on the season after posting a 6-1 victory at Cleveland State (1-6) Sunday afternoon in the Paramount Tennis Club.

"Today was a great day for us," Ball State head women's tennis coach Max Norris said.  "We got our first road win and we did it having to face some adversity. Cleveland State is a well-coached team and they're going to have a great season. Getting that win was a great experience for us going forward."

Ball State claimed the doubles point with a 6-1 win on court one and a 6-2 victory at the No. 2 position.  Courtney Earnest and teammate Rosalinda Calderon defeated Jana Schober and Aleksandra Golawska, and Bethany Moore alongside Courtney Wild claimed the point with their win over Mathilde Orange and Ellen Folkers.

The Cardinals took their momentum into singles action, taking five of the six matches from the Vikings.  Earnest took down Orange on court two in straight sets, 6-1, 6-0 to give Ball State the 2-0 advantage over Cleveland State.  Folkers earned the Vikings their first and only point with a win over Rang at the No. 3 spot.  Moore would then put the Cardinals up 3-1 with her three set thriller (6-1, 3-6, 6-0) over Princess Gbadamosi at the No. 5 position.  Calderon claimed the fourth point in a straight set defeat over Golawska which clinched the victory for Ball State on court six.  Toni Ormond and Wild would end the day with wins at the No. 4 and No. 1 positions, respectively.

The Ball State women's tennis team continues non-conference action on the road Sunday at 1 p.m. against Cincinnati.


Women's Tennis Sweeps Bradley

MUNCIE, Ind. - The Ball State women's tennis team swept Bradley 7-0 Friday night at the Muncie YMCA Tennis Center.  With the win, the Cardinals improve to 4-2 on the season while the Braves fall to 4-3 overall.

"Today was a good day for us, Ball State head women's tennis coach Max Norris said.  "I was pleased to see everyone play a part. From Olivia who'd been sick most of this week to Wild and Ashlyn finishing two tough matches. Bradley fought hard and I give credit to them. We are excited to hit the road for Cleveland, Go cards."

The Cardinals swept both doubles and singles play to claim the victory over the Braves.  In doubles action, Courtney Earnest teammed up with Rosalinda Calderon to post a 6-3 win over Alexa Brandt and Ashley Thai at the No. 1 spot.  Bethany Moore and Courtney Wild earned a 6-4 defeat over Ariel Dechter and Aimee Manfredo at No. 2 doubles.  Toni Ormond and Olivia Large rounded out the doubles victories by posting a 6-4 victory over Cassia Wojtalik and Irinka Toidze.

Ball State swept all six of the singles matches.  Earnest, Ormond, Moore and Calderon all took down their opponents in straight sets at the No. 2, No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6 positions, respectively.  Wild won at the No. 1 position in a two-set tiebreaker as did Rang at the No. 3 slot.


Bowling Green:

Cincinnati Gets Past Falcons, 6-1

Bowling Green State University tennis freshman Megan Miller posted another singles win, but the visiting University of Cincinnati captured a 6-1 victory on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 14). The non-conference dual match was held at the Perrysburg Tennis Center.

"I am very proud of the way the girls competed today after a long and tough match yesterday," said Falcon head coach Olga Elkin. "They came out with a lot of energy again today, and kept it up throughout the entire match. We saw some great tennis and improvements from the girls this weekend."

Miller lost her opening set, but rallied for a 6-4 victory against the Bearcats' Katya Bure in the second set. Then, the Sylvania native captured a 10-5 win in the 10-point tiebreaker that was played in lieu of a third set.

Miller's win was her second singles victory in as many days, and her third in six dual matches this season to date. She has team-leading totals of six singles wins and 13 overall victories this year.

The Bearcats took all three doubles matches to claim the first point of the afternoon. UC's Lauren Bellinger and Kelly Poggensee-Wei escaped with a 7-5 victory over Miller and sophomore Harley Hutchison at the top flight, and the visitors also captured wins at the second and third flights.

In singles, the 'Cats won five matches in straight sets, with Poggensee-Wei downing Hutchison at the top flight and Ali Miller defeating freshman Emily Witt at the third. Sophomore Antonina Farrar played at the fourth flight for the first time in her young BGSU career, while classmate Leeah Floyd played at the fifth flight and freshman Sydney Seeley at the sixth.

In doubles play, Floyd and Witt teamed up at the second flight and Farrar and Seeley paired up at the third.

The Falcons return to the road next weekend, facing Michigan State University on Saturday (Feb. 21) at noon. That match was originally scheduled for Feb. 1, but was postponed due to inclement weather.

Next Saturday's MSU dual begins a three-match road swing which also includes trips to IPFW (Feb. 27) and UIC (March 15). BGSU's next home match will be on Friday, March 20, when the Brown and Orange will face Northern Illinois University in the Mid-American Conference opener.

CINCINNATI 6, BGSU 1
Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015 – Perrysburg Tennis Center – Perrysburg, Ohio
SINGLES
1 – Kelly Poggensee-Wei (UC) def. Harley Hutchison 6-0, 6-2
2 – Megan Miller (BGSU) def. Katya Bure 1-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-5)
3 – Ali Miller (UC) def. Emily Witt 6-4, 6-1
4 – Lauren Bellinger (UC) def. Antonina Farrar 6-0, 6-1
5 – Hannah Wille (UC) def. Leeah Floyd 6-0, 6-0
6 – Natalia Abdalla (UC) def. Sydney Seeley 6-0, 6-2

DOUBLES
1 – Bellinger/Poggensee-Wei (UC) def. Hutchison/Miller 7-5
2 – Bure/Miller (UC) def. Floyd/Witt 6-0
3 – Abdalla/Wille (UC) def. Farrar/Seeley 6-1


Falcons Fall To Vikings, 5-2

Freshmen Megan Miller and Emily Witt picked up singles victories on Friday night (Feb. 13), but the Bowling Green State University tennis team fell, 5-2, to visiting Cleveland State University. The non-conference dual match was held at the Perrysburg Tennis Center.

Miller was a double winner, teaming up with sophomore Harley Hutchison for a victory in doubles, before defeating the Vikings' Mathilde Orange in straight sets at the second singles flight.

"We made huge strides today as a team, and I could not be more proud of the girls," said Falcon head coach Olga Elkin. "The way they played, competed, and the effort that was given was the best I've seen from them all year. The energy and excitement of the match was amazing from start to finish. We are excited to get back out there as a team tomorrow."

CSU captured the doubles point with wins at the bottom two flights, but Miller and Hutchison gutted out a win in a tiebreaker at the top flight against Victoria Bensimon and Jana Schober. The BG duo captured a 7-4 'breaker for their third win in five dual matches this spring.

In singles, Miller breezed to a 6-1 opening-set win vs. Orange at the second flight. The second set was a little closer, but the Falcon freshman came away with a 6-4 victory.

At the third flight, Witt downed Schober in a first-set tiebreaker. Schober roared back to take the second set, but Witt won the match with a 10-5 victory in the ensuing 10-point tiebreaker.

Hutchison lost by the slimmest of margins at the top flight. The BG sophomore downed Bensimon, 6-3, in the first set, but the CSU soph came back to capture a narrow 7-5 second set, and Bensimon eked out an 11-9 win in the tiebreaker.

Falcon sophomore Brittany Plaszewski played for the first time since mid-October. Plaszewski was in the lineup at the second doubles flight (teaming with Witt) and the fourth singles flight. The remainder of BGSU's lineup consisted of sophomore Leeah Floyd at the fifth flight and classmate Antonina Farrar at the sixth. That duo played together at the third doubles flight.

The Falcons return to the PTC on Saturday (Feb. 14), taking on the University of Cincinnati in a 2:00 p.m. match.

CLEVELAND STATE 5, BGSU 2
SINGLES
1 – Victoria Bensimon (CSU) def. Harley Hutchison 3-6, 7-5, 1-0 (11-9)
2 – Megan Miller (BGSU) def. Mathilde Orange 6-1, 6-4
3 – Emily Witt (BGSU) def. Jana Schober 7-6 (4), 0-6, 1-0 (10-5)
4 – Ellen Folkers (CSU) def. Brittany Plaszewski 6-2, 6-1
5 – Princess Gbadamosi (CSU) def. Leeah Floyd 6-0, 6-0
6 – Aleksandra Golawska (CSU) def. Antonina Farrar 6-2, 6-0

DOUBLES
1 – Hutchison/Miller (BGSU) def. Bensimon/Schober 7-6 (4)
2 – Folkers/Gbadamosi (CSU) def. Plaszewski/Witt 6-3
3 – Golawska/Orange (CSU) def. Farrar/Floyd 6-1


Eastern Michigan:

EMU Falls To West Virginia, 7-0

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – The Eastern Michigan University women's tennis team suffered their fifth-straight loss Sunday, Feb. 15, when it traveled to West Virginia University to square off with the Mountaineers. Eastern Michigan was swept, 7-0, and fell to 1-7 on the year, while WVU advanced to 7-1 season.

Eastern saw just one victory in the nine matches played. Daphne Friedrichs and Alejandra Barcelo Almoyna took down Habiba Shaker and Lyn Yuen Choo in the No. 3 doubles spot, 6-4, but the Eagles were unable to secure a point as both the EMU No. 1 and No. 2 squads fell, giving West Virginia a 1-0 lead after doubles action.

The Green and White was swept in singles play. Friedrichs and Klara Supejova were each able to take their opponents to tiebreakers, but they weren't able to come away victorious. At No. 4, Frierichs dropped the first set, 6-2, before claiming set two by the same score. Ultimately, the Mountaineers' Ikttesh Chahal defeated Friedrichs by a score of 10-5 in the tiebreaker. Supejova met up with Kaja Mrgole in the No. 1 slot. The Prague, Czech Republic native knocked of Mrgole, 4-6, in the opening set but Mrgole responded with a 7-6 win in set two, sending the match to a tiebreak. Mrgole won the tiebreaker, 10-7, icing the match.

Eastern doesn't return to the court until Tuesday, Feb. 24, when they head to the West Coast for three matches in California. The Eagles will start their trip with a 2 p.m. (PT) matchup with California State-Northridge.


Eagles Fall At Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Eastern Michigan University's women's tennis team dropped a 6-1 decision Saturday, Feb. 14, at the University of Pittsburgh. The Eagles (1-6) took the doubles point before being swept in singles action.

After Daphne Friedrichs and Alejandra Barcelo Almoyna were upended, 8-5, in the first match of doubles, Eastern's No. 1 and 2 doubles squad came up big for EMU. Klara Supejova and Andrea Martinovska teamed up at No. 1 to knock off Pitt's Lolade Ogungbesan and Callie Frey, 8-5, before Ani Gogvadze and Maria Paula Ribero defeated Katherine Castro and Audrey Ann Blakely, 8-4, locking up the doubles point.

Eastern was swept in singles play, with two taking their matches to three sets. Supejova dropped a three setter to Ogungbesan, 5-7, 6-1, 11-9, at No. 1 singles, while Gogvadze took Blakely to three, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3, in the No. 2 spot. Martinovska dropped a 7-5, 6-4, decision, while Friedrichs went down, 6-1, 6-2. Ribero and Sharma each fell at No. 5 and 6.

"We are playing good tennis, but not tough enough at the right moments," stated Head Coach Ryan Ray. "We can win matches like this with the right mindset. Tomorrow is another day to improve."


Miami:

Women's Tennis Falls At Georgia State

ATLANTA, Ga. – Miami University’s women’s tennis team was unable to take home a weekend sweep as they were defeated 6-1 Sunday by the Georgia State Panthers at the Atlanta Athletic Club. Despite the score, the RedHawks (2-5) captured two victories and saw three matches go into a deciding third set.

The Panthers (6-3) and RedHawks each earned quick victories in the doubles competition, with senior Ramona Costea and sophomore Andreea Badileanu won 8-2 in third flight. In the deciding doubles matchup, the pair of senior Christine Guerrazzi and freshman Nelli Ponomareva fought hard, but fell 8-5 in first flight.

Badileanu earned Miami’s single point of the match with her comeback fourth flight victory (1-6, 6-2, 6-1) over Kristin Rehse. Guerrazzi overcame a difficult first set to send her third flight match into a final set before falling 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 to Linn Timmermann. The final match of the day also saw Costea enter a deciding set in her sixth flight matchup with Marcia Tere-Apisah.

The RedHawks will now take a two-week break before returning to the courts for a pair of weekend matches. They will face Illinois State on Friday Mar. 6 at 11:00 a.m. and Wisconsin on Sunday Mar. 8 at 10:00 a.m. at the Riverside Athletic Club in Hamilton, Ohio.

SINGLES
1.    Masa Grgan (GSU) def. Nelli Ponomareva (MIAMI), 6-4, 7-6
2.    Niri Rasolomalala (GSU) def. Alix Thurman (MIAMI), 6-3, 6-0
3.    Linn Timmerman (GSU) def. Christine Guerrazzi (MIAMI), 6-1, 5-7, 6-2
4.    Andreea Badileanu (MIAMI) def. Kristin Rehse (GSU), 1-6, 6-2, 6-1
5.    Chaimaa Roudami (GSU) def. Ana Rajkovic (MIAMI), 7-5, 6-4
6.    Marcia Tere-Apisah (GSU) def. Ramona Costea (MIAMI), 4-6, 6-3, 10-8

DOUBLES
1.    Tarani Kamoe/Linn Timmermann (GSU) def. Christine Guerrazzi/Nelli Ponomareva (MIAMI), 8-5
2.    Niri Rasolomalala/Kristin Rehse (GSU) def. Alix Thurman/Hannah Shteyn (MIAMI), 8-0
3.    Ramona Costea/Andreea Badileanu (MIAMI) def. Masa Grgan/Marcia Tere-Apisah (GSU), 8-2

Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1)      Singles (2,4,3,1,5,6)


Miami Drops Furman, 5-2

ATLANTA, Ga. – Miami University’s women’s team rebounded Saturday from a heartbreaking defeat to Xavier with a 5-2 victory over #67 Furman University at the Atlanta Athletic Club. The win snapped a three-game losing streak and marked Miami’s first road victory of the 2015 season.

In doubles, the RedHawks (2-4) quickly grabbed the match’s first point with decisive wins over duos from the Paladins (1-6). Senior Christine Guerrazzi and freshman Nelli Ponomareva put away Alex Moreno-Kaste and Ansley Speaks, 8-1, while senior Alix Thurman and freshman Hannah Shteyn won their fourth consecutive match in an 8-3 result. The remaining match featuring senior Ramona Costea and sophomore Andreea Badileanu was declared unfinished due to the clinching by the RedHawks.

Furman would earn its two points in singles with victories in the top two flights, although Guerrazzi forced her second flight match into a third set before falling 12-10 in a tight tiebreaker. The four Miami singles victories all came in straight sets, with strong performances by Badileanu (6-1, 6-2), freshman Erin Rodriguez (6-0, 6-4), and junior Ana Rajkovic (6-1, 6-4). The closest RedHawk victory was posted by Thurman who fought through to a 6-2, 7-6 (5) victory.

SINGLES
1. Ansley Speaks (FUR) def. Nelli Ponomareva (MIAMI) 6-2, 6-1
2. Alex Moreno-Kaste (FUR) def. Christine Guerrazzi (MIAMI) 6-4, 2-6, 1-0 (12-10)
3. Alix Thurman (MIAMI) def. Blair Martin (FUR) 6-2, 7-6 (7-5)
4. Andreea Badileanu (MIAMI) def. Karlee Bryde (FUR) 6-1, 6-2
5. Ana Rajkovic (MIAMI) def. Harper Caswell (FUR) 6-1, 6-4
6. Erin Rodriguez (MIAMI) def. Joan van Lochem (FUR) 6-0, 6-4

DOUBLES
1. Christine Guerrazzi/Nelli Ponomareva (MIAMI) def. Alex Moreno-Kaste/Ansley Speaks (FUR) 8-1
2. Alix Thurman/Hannah Shteyn (MIAMI) def. Blair Martin/Harper Caswell (FUR) 8-3
3. Karlee Bryde/Joan van Lochem (FUR) vs. Ramona Costea/Andreea Badileanu (MIAMI) unfinished


Northern Illinois:

Huskies Defeat Milwaukee To Improve to 5-0

ROCKFORD, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University women’s tennis team produced another impressive victory on Thursday afternoon and remains undefeated after beating Milwaukee 6-1 at the Boylan Tennis Center in Rockford, Ill.  The Huskies (5-0) stretched their winning streak to five in dominant fashion by defeating the Panthers for the first time since 2012.

After winning the doubles point for the fifth consecutive match thanks to three victories, the Huskies took five of the six singles matches to secure the impressive triumph.

Senior Nelle Youel (Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake Central) continued her undefeated start to the spring (10-0) by earning another two wins by winning her No. 1 singles match in straight sets and teaming up with Cristina Alvarez (Zaragoza, Spain/Cristorey and Sagrado Corazon de Jesus) to take the No. 1 doubles dual in a tiebreaker.

Alvarez also won her singles match, along with seniors Mary Malkin (Tel Aviv, Israel/Alliance), who is still undefeated at No. 3 singles this spring, Arantza De La Torre (San Luis Potosi, Mexico/Motolinia) and freshman Jennifer Gates (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett).

NIU head coach Tanya Gombera is still undefeated at the helm of the Huskie women’s tennis program, and she praised her team’s effort and citied its depth as a huge factor in its success.

“The team came out ready to play today against a strong Milwaukee team,” Gombera said after the match. “This is a team we lost to last year, so it was good to see so many wins today, which led to a team victory. I was also proud of Jennifer Gates, who did a great job clinching the match for us at No. 6.”

The Huskies will seek to continue their undefeated start to the spring when they welcome Southeast Missouri to the Boylan Tennis Center in Rockford next Friday at 2 p.m. CT.

Doubles
No. 1: N. Youel and Alvarez (NIU) def. Colarossi and Straub (UWM), 7-6 (7-5)
No. 2: Malkin and E. Youel (NIU) unf. def. Pendleton and Shannon (UWM), 6-6 (5-3)
No. 3: De La Torre and Gates (NIU) def. Marshall and Merar (UWM), 6-1; NIU takes doubles point

Singles
No. 1: N. Youel (NIU) def. Bailey (UWM), 6-2, 6-3
No. 2: Alvarez (NIU) def. Straub (UWM), 6-2, 6-4
No. 3: Malkin (NIU) def. Shannon (UWM), 7-5, 6-4
No. 4: De La Torre (NIU) def. Merar (UWM), 6-0, 6-1
No. 5: Colarossi (UWM) def. Dekkinga (NIU), 6-0, 4-6, 6-1
No. 6: Gates (NIU) def. Marshall (UWM), 6-3, 6-2


Toledo:

Toledo Tops IPFW, 5-2

TOLEDO, OH - The Toledo women’s tennis team won its third-consecutive match, defeating IPFW 5-2 on Sunday afternoon at Shadow Valley Tennis Club. The Rockets won the doubles point once again, as they have now won the doubles point in all eight matches this season.  Toledo is now 5-3 on this year.

Senior Lexy Pitt and junior Emily Mazzola recorded the first doubles win of the match, sweeping No. 2 doubles 6-0 to improve to 6-2 on the year.

Junior Mackenzie Bowman and freshman Sidnay Huck won their third-straight doubles match, as they captured a 6-2 win at the No. 3 doubles spot.

The Rockets are now 16-6 overall in doubles play this season.

In singles play, Pitt recorded her first win of the season at the top singles spot, winning 6-1, 6-0, and improving to 5-3 overall this year.

Senior Pia Rygh won by the same score at the No. 2 singles spot, and Huck clinched the match for Toledo with a 6-0, 6-4 victory at No. 4 singles.

Mazzola capped off the scoring for the Midnight Blue & Gold with her third-consecutive win, earning a 6-4, 6-4 victory at the No. 6 spot.

The Rockets are back in action on Friday, Feb. 20 when they travel to take on Youngstown State.


Rockets Outlast Cincinnati, 5-2

TOLEDO, OH - The Toledo women’s tennis team won its second straight match on Friday, defeating Cincinnati 5-2 at Shadow Valley Tennis Club. The Rockets won the doubles point once again, as they have won the point in all seven matches this season.

“I was impressed with our efforts across the board today,” head coach Tracy Mauntler said. “We knew Cincinnati would be touch, especially with their singles play. I felt like we came out with a bang in both singles and doubles today which helped to fuel this victory.”

Toledo led off the match claiming two wins in doubles.

Senior Lexy Pitt and junior Emily Mazzola claimed a 6-4 win at the No. 2 doubles spot, while freshman Sidnay Huck and junior Mackenzie Bowman clinched the doubles point with a 6-2 win at No. 3 doubles.

Toledo is now 14-5 in doubles matches this season, and the duo of Mazzola and Pitt now hold a 5-2 record.

In singles play, the Bearcats tried to fight back, but the Rockets won four of the six matchups.

Pitt claimed a 6-1, 6-1 victory at No. 2 singles to improve to 4-3 on the year, while sophomore Lauren Thai also sits at 4-3 on the year, after a 6-2, 6-3 win at the No. 3 singles spot.

Mazzola earned the third singles win for UT, with a 6-3, 7-6 win at No. 6 singles, and freshman Sidnay Huck earned her first collegiate win this spring with a tough three-set victory in the No. 5 spot.


Western Michigan:

Women's Tennis Tops Oakland, 6-1

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan women’s tennis team got back to its winning ways with a complete effort on Saturday, defeating the Oakland Golden Grizzlies 6-1 at West Hills Athletic Club to improve to 3-4 on the season. The win snapped a modest two-match losing streak for the Broncos, who will not return home for a match until March 1.

The Broncos opened the afternoon with a sweep of doubles play, starting with the doubles pairing of Tracy Kuhle and Meika Ashby. Kuhle and Ashby cruised past Elizabeth Guy and Tamara Blum at the No. 2 doubles position, winning 6-1 to put WMU ahead in the session. Barbare Eristavi and Ella Perinovic clinched the point for the Broncos at the No. 3 doubles spot, beating Cam Sabourin and Juliana Guevara 6-2, and the top doubles pairing of Caroline Aleck and Olivia Myers downed Camille Hemond-Hills and Karine Celis 6-4 to sweep all through doubles matches.

Kuhle was the first player to strike in the singles session, nearly shutting out Hemond-Hills with a 6-1, 6-0 decision in the No. 4 singles match, and Eristavi notched an identical score in beating Theresa Elder at the No. 5 spot. Labina Petrovska clinched the team win for the Broncos with a straight-sets win over Guevara at the No. 6 singles spot, beating her 6-3, 6-2 to provide WMU the fourth point of the match. Olivia Myers won her fifth singles match in her last six attempts, beating Celis 6-2, 6-2 at the No. 2 singles spot, and Meika Ashby won her second straight singles match with a 6-0, 6-3 effort against Sabourin.

Western Michigan 6, Oakland 1

Singles competition
1. Meika Ashby (WMU) def. Cam Sabourin (OAK) 6-0, 6-3
2. Olivia Myers (WMU) def. Karine Celis (OAK) 6-2, 6-2
3. Tamara Blum (OAK) def. Ella Perinovic (WMU) 2-6, 6-2, 10-2
4. Tracy Kuhle (WMU) def. Camille Hemond-Hills (OAK) 6-1, 6-0
5. Barbare Eristavi (WMU) def. Theresa Elder (OAK) 6-1, 6-0
6. Labina Petrovska (WMU) def. Juliana Guevara (OAK) 6-3, 6-2

Doubles competition
1. Caroline Aleck/Olivia Myers (WMU) def. Camille Hemond-Hills/Karine Celis (OAK) 6-4
2. Tracy Kuhle/Meika Ashby (WMU) def. Elizabeth Guy/Tamara Blum (OAK) 6-1
3. Barbare Eristavi/Ella Perinovic (WMU) def. Cam Sabourin/Juliana Guevara (OAK) 6-2

Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (4,5,6,2,1,3)


Broncos Fall To Michigan State, 5-2

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Meika Ashby and Tracy Kuhle each recorded singles wins, but Michigan State edged out the Western Michigan women’s tennis team 5-2 in a match played at West Hills Athletic Club on Friday. With the loss, the Broncos fall to 2-4 on the season; they will face Oakland on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 1 p.m.

Ashby and Kuhle were both able to overcome their Big Ten opponents in straight sets, with Kuhle cruising past Catherine Parenteau in the No. 4 singles match to tie the overall match at 1-1 and Ashby evening her record at No. 1 singles at 3-3 with a straight-sets victory against Erin Faulkner late in the match.

The Broncos just narrowly fell in the doubles session to the Spartans, with Michigan State taking a tiebreaker in the No. 3 match to clinch the session, but things were far from over as WMU took the first singles match off the court. Kuhle tied the overall match at 1-1 with a breezy win over Parenteau, winning 6-3, 6-3 to even the odds against the Spartans.

Michigan State claimed the next three singles matches to clinch the team win, but Ashby recorded one of her most impressive wins of the season with a straight-sets victory over Faulkner. Ashby trailed 3-0 in the first set but quickly made it up by taking four straight games to jump ahead in the first set and eventually take it. The second set went back and forth, but Ashby ultimately went up a break on Faulkner and closed it out for the win.

Michigan State 5, Western Michigan 2

Singles competition
1. Meika Ashby (WMU) def. Erin Faulkner (MSU) 6-4, 6-4
2. Lexi Baylis (MSU) def. Olivia Myers (WMU) 6-2, 6-4
3. Aslina Chua (MSU) def. Ella Perinovic (WMU) 6-4, 6-2
4. Tracy Kuhle (WMU) def. Catherine Parenteau (MSU) 6-3, 6-3
5. Athena Trouillot (MSU) def. Barbare Eristavi (WMU) 6-7, 6-3, 1-0 (10-7)
6. Emily Meyers (MSU) def. Yuriko Ono (WMU) 6-2, 6-3

Doubles competition
1. Olivia Myers/Caroline Aleck (WMU) vs. Athena Trouillot/Erin Faulkner (MSU) 6-6 (6-3), unfinished
2. Catherine Parenteau/Allie Baer (MSU) def. Tracy Kuhle/Meika Ashby (WMU) 6-4
3. Lexi Baylis/Emily Meyers (MSU) def. Barbare Eristavi/Yuriko Ono (WMU) 7-6 (7-4)

Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (4,2,6,3,1,5)