University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Tops Illinois, Hosts Iowa Sunday
4/23/2011 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
"I'm really happy for the team," said UM head coach Tyler Thomson. "The way the season has gone, they had a lot of reasons to stop fighting and they did not. They were motivated tonight and it was a great effort."
Illinois claimed a lengthy doubles point to kick off the match. Amy Allin and Rachael White defeated Magdalena Wiecha and Alexa Palen at the top position, but Minnesota answered with a with at No. 2 by seniors Alessandra Ferrazzi and Mariana Spilca. The competition came down to No. 3, where Misia Kedzierski and Breanne Smutko eked out a 9-7 win over UM's Yuliana Umanets and Doron Muravnik.
The Gophers were able to recover with sizable wins at the fourth and sixth spots to begin singles play. Muravnik blew out Kedzierski 6-1, 6-0 and Spilca gave her team its first lead of the night by downing Annie McCarthy in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2.
Minnesota has now won four of its last five matches at No. 6 singles after losing its first 16 matches at the position to begin the season.
The Fighting Illini tied the score when Allin topped Ferrazzi at No. 2 in straight sets, but UM regained the lead when Umanets beat Leigh Finnegan in straight sets at No. 5. The Gophers sealed their second Big Ten win of the year when Wiecha improved to 3-2 at the third position and 2-1 in three-set matches on the year with a 6-1, 0-6, 6-3 triumph against Smutko.
UI's White, ranked 117th in the nation, made it a 4-3 final by escaping with a three-set win over Palen at the top flight. Palen, who played at the top position for the first time in her career on Friday, has now played at every position except No. 6 this season.
"Winning in itself brings confidence, but [so does] seeing the effort pay off," Thomson said. "I think we're going to feel really good heading into Sunday."
Sitting in tenth place in the Big Ten with only one win separating them from a tie for sixth, the Gophers will host Iowa on Senior Day at noon on Sunday. The Hawkeyes and Wisconsin are tied for sixth and play each other on Saturday. Sunday's match will be the final career home match for Spilca, Ferrazzi, and fellow senior Peta Forsyth.
Minnesota 4, Illinois 3
April 22, 2011
Baseline Tennis Center • Minneapolis, Minn.
Singles Competition
1. No. 117 Rachael White (ILL) def. Alexa Palen (MINN) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
2. Amy Allin (ILL) def. Alessandra Ferrazzi (MINN) 7-5, 6-2
3. Magdalena Wiecha (MINN) def. Breanne Smutko (ILL) 6-1, 0-6, 6-3
4. Doron Muravnik (MINN) def. Misia Kedzierski (ILL) 6-1, 6-0
5. Yuliana Umanets (MINN) def. Leigh Finnegan (ILL) 7-6 (3), 6-1
6. Mariana Spilca (MINN) def. Annie McCarthy (ILL) 6-1, 6-2
Doubles Competition
1. Amy Allin/Rachael White (ILL) def. Magdalena Wiecha/Alexa Palen (MINN) 8-6
2. Alessandra Ferrazzi/Mariana Spilca (MINN) def. Leigh Finnegan/Annie McCarthy (ILL) 9-8 (2)
3. Misia Kedzierski/Breanne Smutko (ILL) def. Yuliana Umanets/Doron Muravnik (MINN) 9-7
Match Notes:
Illinois 9-11 (5-4 Big Ten)
Minnesota 6-15 (2-7 Big Ten)
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (4,6,2,5,3,1)
