Women's Tennis: Freshmen Help WVU Tie Record
April 12, 2005 07:32 PM | General
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By Jarrod Sudduth for MSNsportsNET.com
April 12, 2005
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women’s tennis team tied the school record for wins in a spring season when it defeated Duquesne, 6-1, on Tuesday at the Mountaineer Tennis Complex.
West Virginia (13-6, 4-2) won eight of the day’s nine matches en route to its fourth victory in a row. WVU won five of six singles contests and swept all three doubles matches to garner the extra point. Overall, West Virginia has won eight of its last 10 matches.
Tuesday’s victory improved WVU’s spring win total to 13, tying the school record set in 1990 when Martha Thorn’s team finished the season with a mark of 13-6. This year’s team, however, is the first unit to compile 13 victories during the regular season. The 1990 team recorded its 13th win of the season in the Atlantic 10 Tournament against St. Joseph’s.
Tuesday’s win was sparked by the play of five freshmen. Natalia Prinz, Monica Lyskawa, Kathryn Gerber, Johanna Dorsey and Stacey Percival combined to record an overall record of 5-1 and together contributed to three of West Virginia’s six points.
In No. 1 singles, sophomore Kelly Walsh defeated Johanna Bezjak, 6-3, 6-4, while Lyskawa outlasted Julie Wagner by a score of 6-0, 6-1 in three seed action.
Gerber, who has spent the last month rehabbing an injury, returned to the court for the first time since March 13 against Hofstra. The Vienna, W.Va., native breezed by Duquesne’s Sarah Shanahan, 6-1, 6-0, in four seed singles. Dorsey improved her season record to 2-0 with a dramatic 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 triumph over Alicia McNamara.
Sophomore Ashley Constantine topped Ciara McDermott, 7-5, 6-3, in a highly contested match at the No. 6 position.
In doubles action, the No. 1 duo of Lyskawa and junior Raynie Theis topped Hughes and McNamara, 8-3, while Prinz and Percival defeated Bezjak and Wagner, 8-1, at the two seed position. Walsh and sophomore Catherine Koontz completed the sweep with an 8-3 win over Shanahan and McDermott in three seed action.
“Today’s win was great because all eleven of our girls contributed in some way,” coach Dan Silverstein says. “It was a great opportunity for our regulars to get some rest and for our younger players to gain some valuable experience for the future.”
West Virginia has the rare opportunity of setting the school record for wins in a single season against its bitter rival. The Mountaineers return to action on Thursday, April 14, when they host Pitt at the Mountaineer Tennis Complex.
SINGLES
1. Kelly Walsh (WVU) d. Johanna Bezjak (Duq), 6-3, 6-4
2. Jacqueline Hughes (Duq) d. Natalia Prinz (WVU), 5-7, 7-5, 10-7
3. Monica Lyskawa (WVU) d. Julie Wagner (Duq), 6-0, 6-1
4. Kathryn Gerber (WVU) d. Sarah Shanahan (Duq), 6-1, 6-0
5. Johanna Dorsey (WVU) d. Alicia McNamara (Duq), 4-6, 6-1, 7-6
6. Ashley Constantine (WVU) d. Ciara McDermott (Duq), 7-5, 6-3
DOUBLES
1. Raynie Theis/Lyskawa (WVU) d. Hughes/McNamara (Duq), 8-3
2. Stacey Percival/Prinz (WVU) d. Bezjak/Wagner (Duq), 8-1
3. Walsh/Catherine Koontz (WVU) d. Shanahan/McDermott, 8-3
