University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Penn State
Gophers Snap Skid, Beat Penn State
4/6/2012 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
The Minnesota women's tennis team snapped its three-game losing streak with a 5-2 win at No. 47 Penn State today. The Gophers improved to 13-4 overall and 3-3 in Big Ten play with the win.
Minnesota, which had previously lost to No. 21 Illinois, No. 15 Northwestern and No. 20 Michigan, won for the first time since it beat Michigan State 5-2 on March 24.
The Gophers, who are ranked No. 33, got things rolling early as they won all three matches in doubles to claim the a 1-0 lead. Natallia Pintusava and Magdalena Wiecha, who are ranked No. 39, made quick work of Petra Januskova and Chelsea Utting at No. 1 doubles winning 8-2. The Gophers' top duo improved to 9-2 during the spring season and rebounded from an 8-1 loss to Illinois last week.
Alexa Palen and Doron Muravnik posted an 8-5 win at No. 2 singles, while Aria Lambert and Julia Courter won 8-4 at the third position. Minnesota won all three doubles matches for only the fourth time this year and for the first time since Feb. 26 when they went a combined 6-0 in doubles against Virginia Tech and Carleton.
The Gophers jumped out to a 2-0 lead after Pintusava recorded her tenth win of the season with a 6-4, 7-5 triumph against Utting at the second position.
Penn State got on the board when Palen fell 6-3, 7-5 to Januskova at first singles. Januskova, who is ranked 61st, handed Palen only her fourth loss of the spring season. The Gopher junior is now 12-4 in the spring and 4-3 at No. 1.
Minnesota won all the remaining singles matches that were completed.
Muravnik ended a three-match losing streak with a 6-4, 6-2 win at the third position. Muravnik earned her 12th win of the spring season, which is tied with Palen for the team lead. She leads Minnesota with an overall record of 21-7.
Yuliana Umanets and Lambert both rebounded from first-set defeats to register convincing wins at fifth and sixth singles. Umanets won 2-6, 6-2, 6-0, while Lambert won 0-6, 6-3, 6-0.
The match at fourth singles went to Penn State as Julia Couter retired in the second set against Fernanda Perrotta. Courter won the first set 7-5, but was trailing 4-3 in the second when she retired.
The Gophers now travel to Ohio State to face the Buckeyes on April 8 before returning to Baseline Tennis Center to host Indiana (4/13) and Purdue (4/15).
Tennis Match Results
Minnesota vs Penn State
Apr 06, 2012 at University Park, Pa.
(Sarni Tennis Center)
#33 Minnesota 5, #47 Penn State 2
Singles competition
1. #61 Januskova, Petra (PSU) def. Palen, Alexa (MINN) 6-3, 7-5
2. Pintusava, Natallia (MINN) def. Utting, Chelsea (PSU) 6-4, 7-5
3. Muravnik, Doron (MINN) def. Sandor, Carmen (PSU) 6-4, 6-2
4. Perrotta, Fernanda (PSU) def. Courter, Julia (MINN) 5-7, 4-3, retired
5. Umanets, Yuliana (MINN) def. Bedard, Marie (PSU) 2-6, 6-2, 6-0
6. Lambert, Aria (MINN) def. Sertic, Nina (PSU) 0-6, 6-3, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. #39 Pintusava, Natallia / Wiecha, Magdalena (MINN) def. Januskova, Petra/Utting, Chelsea (PSU) 8-2
2. Palen, Alexa / Muravnik, Doron (MINN) def. Sandor, Carmen/Bedard, Marie (PSU) 8-5
3. Lambert, Aria / Courter, Julia (MINN) def. Perrotta, Fernanda/Sertic, Nina (PSU) 8-4
Match Notes:
Minnesota 13-4; National ranking #33
Penn State 10-7; National ranking #47
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (2,1,3,5,4,6)
Players Mentioned
