Tennis: WVU Takes Down Eagles
February 08, 2008 11:59 PM | General
By Steve Stone for MSNsportsNET.com
February 8, 2008
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University tennis team won their second straight match after defeating Eastern Michigan, 4-3, on Friday, Feb. 8, at the Ridgeview Racquet Club.
The Mountaineers (3-1) gave another strong performance in singles competition after giving up the doubles point. They were led by senior Natalia Prinz at No. 3 singles, who showed resiliency by winning her second three-set match of the season against the Eagles’ Catharina Bestehorn, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5.
“Natalia gutted out a long match, and she showed good fitness and mental toughness tonight,” says WVU head coach Marc Walters.
Prinz and senior Stacey Percival defeated Frankowski-Bestehorn, 8-6, in No. 1 doubles to give the Mountaineers their only victory.
Senior Monica Lyskawa was dominant in her No. 2 singles match against Sandra Wikstrom, earning a 6-1, 6-1, victory to improve her record to 3-1 in singles competition.
Junior Colleen Speaker continues to impress during the young season, edging Eastern Michigan’s Aleksandra Stankovic, 6-4, 6-3, to also improve to 3-1 in singles play.
“Colleen and Monica both controlled their matches throughout,” says Walters. “”They both helped us get a lot of momentum.”
At No. 6 singles, Gabriela Blaskovicova defeated Flavia Micati, 6-2, 6-2, to get her second win of the season in as many matches.
Walters was happy once again with his team’s performance in singles competition, and believes their success in the first set was the key to their win.
“Winning the first five sets goes a long way, and it really helps us grind teams down,” says Walters.
The Mountaineers returns to action when they travel to Akron in their next match on Saturday, Feb. 16, at 1 p.m.
WVU-4 Eastern Michigan-3
Singles
No. 1: Frankowski (EM) def. Percival (WVU) (6-3, 6-3)
No. 2: Lyskawa (WVU) def. Wikstrom (EM) (6-1, 6-1)
No. 3: Prinz (WVU) def. Bestehorn (EM) (6-2, 4-6, 7-5)
No. 4 Speaker (WVU) def. Stankovic (EM) (6-4, 6-3)
No. 5 Woo (EM) def. Pilsbury (WVU) 7-5, 3-6 (12-10)
No. 6 Blaskovicova (WVU) def. Micati (EM) (6-2, 6-2)
Doubles
No. 1 Percival/Prinz (WVU) def. Frankowski/Bestehorn (EM) (8-6)
No. 2 Wikstrom/Stankovic (EM) def. Speaker/LaFortune (WVU) (8-3)
No. 3 Woo/Micati (EM) def. Pilsbury/Burton (WVU) (8-6)
