University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Virginia Tech
Minnesota Blanks Hokies for Fourth Straight Win
2/26/2012 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
Feb. 26, 2012
The Minnesota women's tennis team advanced to 7-1 on the year and won its fourth straight match by beating 62nd-ranked Virginia Tech 7-0 on Sunday at the Baseline Tennis Center. The No. 71 Gophers have now won four out of five matches against ranked opponents on the year and have recorded three sweeps.
Minnesota, who also blanked Iowa State and Creighton to start the year, won 7-0 two times last season.
After losing the doubles competition in three straight matches prior to this weekend, Minnesota took the 1-0 lead for the second consecutive time on Sunday by taking all three matches from the Hokies.
Freshmen Julia Courter and Tereza Brichacova kicked the morning off with and 8-2 win at the No. 3 position. Courter and Brichacova, who played together for the first time on Friday against Missouri, improved to 2-0.
Alexa Palen an Yuliana Umanets, the only new tandem to lose on Friday, bounced back to win 8-4 against Martha Blakely and Courtney Rauscher of Virginia Tech to clinch the point.
Natallia Pintusava and Magdalena Wiecha capped the doubles sweep with an 8-7 (3) win at the second position.
Returning to the No. 2 spot after a 3-0 run in the top flight, Palen improved to 7-0 on the spring with a convincing 6-1, 6-1 win over Isel Martinez-Marcos.
At the fifth position, Brichacova made the score 3-0 with her second straight-set victory of the weekend. Umanets then secured the win by taking care of Shannon Betts in two sets at No. 3, 7-5, 6-3.
Doron Muravnik, who pulled out a 7-6 (4) win in her first set against Rauscher in the fourth flight, gave the Gophers a fifth point by completing her fourth straight win. Muravnik is now 6-1 on the year.
Pintusava made it 6-0 at No. 1 by topping Blakely 10-8 in a match tiebreaker to improve her record at the top spot to 3-1. The result of the No. 1 singles match has reflected the team result in each of Minnesota's eight matches this season.
A late entry in the singles competition to replace Courter, freshman Aria Lambert won twice in set tiebreakers to finish off the sweep.
The Gophers will play in-state foe Carleton, the 21st-ranked team in Division III, at 4:30 this afternoon before hitting the road for their next five matches.
Feb. 26, 2012
Baseline Tennis Center • Minneapolis, Minn.
No. 71 Minnesota 7, No. 62 Virginia Tech 0
Singles Competition:
1. Natallia Pintusava (MINN) def. Martha Blakely (VT) 6-1, 3-6, 1-0 (8)
2. Alexa Palen (MINN) def. Isel Martinez-Marcos (VT) 6-1, 6-1
3. Yuliana Umanets (MINN) def. Shannon Betts (VT) 7-5, 6-3
4. Doron Muravnik (MINN) (MINN) def. Courtney Rauscher (VT) 7-6 (4), 6-3
5. Tereza Brichacova (MINN) def. Carol Kahoun (VT) 6-4, 6-2
6. Aria Lambert (MINN) def. Emily Lauten (VT) 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5)
Doubles Competition:
1. Alexa Palen/Yuliana Umanets (MINN) def. Martha Blakely/Courtney Rauscher (VT) 8-4
2. Natallia Pintusava/Magdalena Wiecha (MINN) def. Shannon Betts/Katie Blow (VT) 8-7 (3)
3. Julia Courter/Tereza Brichacova (MINN) def. Isel Martinez-Marcos/ Emily Lauten (VT) 8-2
Match Notes:
No. 71 Minnesota 7-1
No. 62 Virginia Tech 7-4
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (2,5,3,4,1,6)
Players Mentioned
