University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Drake
Minnesota Dispatches Drake at Home, 5-2
2/20/2015 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
MINNEAPOLIS - The No. 70 Minnesota women's tennis team earned a 5-2 win over Drake at the Baseline Tennis Center Friday night. The Gophers improved to 5-3 on the season in their first match at home since they opened their season Jan. 18. DU fell to 7-2.
All-time, Minnesota is now 27-2 against the Bulldogs. The team also upped its home record on the season to 3-0 and 20-8 in two-plus seasons under current head coach Chuck Merzbacher.
"Drake is a tough team," Merzbacher said after the victory. "They compete hard and are well-coached. This was a very solid win for the Gophers.
Minnesota got off to a strong start with wins at Nos. 1 and 2 doubles. Jessika Mozia and Julia Courter downed Drake's Maddie Johnson and Nell Boyd, 6-3, at No. 2 before Paula Rincon-Otero and Tereza Brichacova defeated Mariel Ante and Tess Herder, 6-4, at No. 1.
Mozia and Courter are now 3-0 together--Courter, individually, is 7-1 on the spring in doubles play.
The Gophers sealed the win in singles by taking the first three matches to finish.
Caroline Ryba improved to 5-1 with a quick, 6-1, 6-0, win at No. 2 against Tess Herder. Aria Lambert earned her 69th-career singles win with a 6-1, 6-2 triumph over Jordan Eggleston at No. 5 and Courter secured Minnesota's fifth win of 2015 with a 7-6 (3), 6-3 defeat of Adrienne Jensen at No. 6.
Drake got on the board with a super tiebreaker win at No. 1 and added another point at No. 4. Mozia capped the Gophers' scoring with a three-set win at the third spot.
Minnesota picks up play at the Baseline Tennis Center Sunday with an 11 a.m. contest versus No. 46 Dartmouth and a 4 p.m. meeting with South Dakota State.
No. 70 Minnesota 5, Drake 2
Baseline Tennis Center (Minneapolis, Minn.)
Singles competition
1. Mariel Ante (DRAKE) def. Tereza Brichacova (MINN) 6-7 (3), 6-4, 1-0 (5)
2. Caroline Ryba (MINN) def. Tess Herder (DRAKE) 6-1, 6-0
3. Jessika Mozia (MINN) def. Maddie Johnson (DRAKE) 6-3, 5-7, 6-3
4. Nell Boyd (DRAKE) def. Maja Vujic (MINN) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
5. Aria Lambert (MINN) def. Jordan Eggleston (DRAKE) 6-1, 6-2
6. Julia Courter (MINN) def. Adrienne Jensen (DRAKE) 7-6 (3), 6-3
Doubles competition
1. Paula Rincon Otero/Tereza Brichacova (MINN) def. Mariel Ante/Tess Herder (DRAKE) 6-4
2. Jessika Mozia/Julia Courter (MINN) def. Maddie Johnson/Nell Boyd (DRAKE) 6-3
3. Maja Vujic/Mehvish Safdar (MINN) vs. Jordan Eggleston/Adrienne Jensen (DRAKE) 4-5, unfinished
Match Notes
Drake 7-2 (0-0 MVC)
Minnesota 5-3 (0-0 Big Ten)
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (2,5,6,1,3,4)
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Players Mentioned
