Tennis: Mountaineers Fall to Army
March 15, 2009 04:05 PM | General
By Kelly Tuckwiller for MSNsportsNET.com
March 15, 2009
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The West Virginia University tennis team (6-11) battled with Army (15-6) today, as they fell 5-2 at the Ridgeview Racquet Club.
“We played really hard, that is the bottom line,” Coach Marc Walters says. “From top to bottom, I felt like we didn’t leave anything out there. We were tough today, it was just that Army was tougher.”
The Mountaineers saw great wins today from junior Olga Elkin and freshman Veronica Cardenas as the duo captured a doubles win, as well as each of their singles matches. Elkin defeated Sarah Giles-Madden, 6-4, 6-2, at the No. 3 spot, while Cardenas posted a 6-3, 6-3 win over Kristin Beehler at the No. 4 spot.
WVU saw several tough matches throughout the lineup this afternoon with three tie-breaking decisions, including a 7-6 (4) 7-5 match at the No.1 spot as Army’s Anne Houghton defeated junior Stephanie LaFortune.
Freshman Kathryn Haught also played well as she fell to Niki Flach 6-4, 3-6 (10-6) at the No. 2 spot, while sophomore Ashley Pilsbury was defeated by Paige Ford 3-6, 6-2 (10-7) at the No. 6 spot.
In doubles play Elkin and Cardenas captured a win for the Mountaineers as they defeated Army’s Giles-Madden and Caitlin Finnegan, 8-2, at the No. 3 spot. The Mountaineers also showed their determination in the No. 1 singles match, as Pilsbury and partner Gabriela Blaskovicova batted back from a 3-7 lead by Army’s Flach and Michael Tollerton to fall 7-9.
The Mountaineers are set to return to the road with a 5 p.m. match against New Orleans on Wednesday, March 18.
Doubles
1. Flach/Tollerton (Army) def. Blaskovicova/Pilsbury (WVU) 9-7
2. Houghtin/Beehler (Army) def. Burton/LaFortune (WVU) 8-4
3. Elkin/Cardenas (WVU) def. Giles-MAdden/Finnegan (Army) 8-2
Singles
1. Anne Houghton (Army) def. Stephanie LaFortune (WVU) 7-6(4) 7-5
2. Niki Flach (Army) def. Kathryn Haught (WVU) 6-4, 3-6, (10-6)
3. Olga Elkin (WVU) def. Sarah Giles-Madden (Army) 6-4, 6-2
4. Veronica Cardenas (WVU) def. Kristin Beehler (Army) 6-3, 6-3
5. Caitlin Finnegan (Army) def. Monique Burton (WVU) 6-2, 7-5
6. Paige Ford (Army) def. Ashley Pilsbury (WVU) 3-6, 6-2, (10-7)
