Women's Tennis: WVU Advances to Quarterfinals
April 20, 2006 02:50 PM | General
April 20, 2006
TAMPA -- The West Virginia University women’s tennis team defeated Seton Hall 4-1 Thursday morning in a Big East women’s tournament first-round match at the USF Varsity Courts in Tampa, Fla.
It is the first time the Mountaineers have advanced in the winner’s bracket of the conference tournament since coach Dan Silverstein took over the WVU job in 2003. It was also West Virginia’s seventh victory in a row.
“This win guarantees us top eight in the conference,” Silverstein said.
West Virginia (10-10) claimed the doubles point when the duo of Stacey Percival and Natalia Prinz downed Seton Hall’s Vivana Figueroa and Nadja Sein 8-6 at No. 1, and Raynie Theis and Kelly Walsh clipped Iva Gyergina and Amanda El-Tobgy 9-8. Once the Mountaineers earned the doubles point, the third match between West Virginia’s Ashley Constantine/Colleen Speaker and Seton Hall’s Sylvia Jaros/Danielle Viola was called with WVU leading 7-6.
West Virginia’s top two doubles teams are now 11-0 since being paired in mid-March.
“Our doubles play has been exceptional the last month or so,” said Silverstein.
In singles play, Monica Lyskawa got West Virginia’s second point with a 6-1, 6-1 decision over El Tobgy at No. 2 singles, and Kelly Walsh came through with the team’s important third point with a 6-4, 6-0 victory over Viola at No. 4.
“Kelly’s point was huge,” said Silverstein. “The last time she played the same girl at Seton Hall she lost 6-0, 6-0. Her performance really turned the match today.”
Raynie Theis clinched the victory with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Ebru Burduroglu at No. 5 singles.
Prinz at No. 1 singles and Percival at No. 3 singles were leading their matches when contest was called. Seton Hall’s only point came at No. 6 singles where Gyergina defeated Speaker 6-2, 6-2.
The match took about 3 hours to complete giving West Virginia some extra time to rest for tomorrow’s tough match against No. 2-seeded South Florida, ranked 45th in the nation in the most recent ITA rankings. The Bulls have a pair of nationally ranked singles players in No. 57 Courtney Vernon and No. 63 Adrianna Solarova.
“We were able to get out of the heat and get back into the hotel to get a little rest,” Silverstein said. “Our girls are in great shape right now and we’re just going to go after them tomorrow.
“We have nothing to lose.”
Friday’s match against USF will start at 9 am.
The Pirates (10-12) now go into the consolation bracket with their opponent to be determined.
