University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Drops Spring Trip Opener to Lions
3/14/2010 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
A shorthanded Minnesota squad captured the doubles point, but lost four singles matches in a 4-3 loss to Loyola Marymount on Sunday in Los Angeles.
The Gophers played without two of their top three singles players in Tijana Koprivica and Alexa Palen and dropped three of the singles contests in straight sets. Two of Minnesota's losses included first-set tiebreaker defeats. Minnesota, ranked 55th in the country, fell to 8-5 overall, while Loyola Marymount is 2-7 and snapped a six-match losing streak. It was the first meeting between the schools since a 6-0 Minnesota win in 1980.
In doubles, the Gophers rolled to all three victories to take a 1-0 lead. Alessandra Ferrazzi and Palen won 8-3 at No. 1, Jackie Sperling and Magdalena Wiecha won 8-4 at No. 2 and Doron Muravnik and Mariana Spilca were 8-2 winners at No. 3.
Ferrazzi put the Gophers ahead 2-0 with an easy win at No. 1 singles over Jasmin Heckel 6-1, 6-2. The Lions posted two wins to even the match as Bliss Nixon beat the Gophers' Peta Forsyth 7-6, 6-3 at No. 5 and Audrey Bulkley downed Spilca 7-5, 6-2 at No. 6.
Wiecha put Minnesota back ahead with a 6-3, 7-6 victory over Elisaveta Pironkova at No. 4, but Loyola Marymount won the final two matches. Jane Pringle edged Muravnik 7-6, 6-4 at No. 2 and Estelle LaPorte held off Sperling 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 in the deciding match.
Minnesota will have two days off on the west coast before taking on Long Beach State on Wednesday.
Loyola Marymount 4, #55 Minnesota 3
Singles
1. Alessandra Ferrazzi (MINN) def. Jasmin Heckel (LMU) 6-1, 6-2
2. Jane Pringle (LMU) def. Doron Muravnik (MINN) 7-6, 6-4
3. Estelle LaPorte (LMU) def. Jackie Sperling (MINN) 6-4, 2-6, 6-3
4. Magdalena Wiecha (MINN) def. Elisaveta Pironkova (LMU) 6-3, 7-6
5. Bliss Nixon (LMU) def. Peta Forsyth (MINN) 7-6, 6-3
6. Audrey Bulkley (LMU) def. Mariana Spilca (MINN) 7-5, 6-2
Doubles
1. Alessandra Ferrazzi/Alexa Palen (MINN) def. Jane Pringle/Elisaveta Pironkova (LMU) 8-3
2. Jackie Sperling/Magdalena Wiecha (MINN) def. Jasmin Heckel/Shuana Morgan (LMU) 8-4
3. Doron Muravnik/Mariana Spilca (MINN) def. Bliss Nixon/Estelle LaPorte (LMU) 8-2
Match Notes:
Minnesota 8-5; National ranking #55
Loyola Marymount 2-7
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (1,5,6,4,2,3)
Players Mentioned
