Michigan
Minnesota
Minnesota Stops Michigan's 12-Match Home Win Streak
3/29/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's tennis team had a pair of home winning streaks come to an end Saturday afternoon (March 29), losing a 4-3 match to Minnesota at the Varsity Tennis Center. The Gophers (10-5, 3-1 Big Ten) handed the Wolverines (9-5, 2-2 Big Ten) their first home loss of the 2003 dual match season (6-1) and snapped a 12-match home winning streak dating back to last season.
Minnesota won a closely contested doubles point as Michaela Havelkova and Brandi Watts claimed a 9-7 victory against junior Chrissie Nolan (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South HS) and freshman Debra Streifler (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park HS) in the deciding match at No. 3. The Gophers gained the early advantage as Angela Buergis and Nischela Reddy posted an 8-3 win at No. 2. Michigan's sophomore pairing of Michelle DaCosta (Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne HS) and Leanne Rutherford (Calgary, Alberta/National Sports School) forced the deciding match at No. 3 with their fourth straight victory at the top doubles spot, an 8-4 victory against Amy Thomas and Valerie Vladea.
The Wolverines evened the match at one point apiece as Jen Duprez (Westhampton, N.Y./Westhampton Beach HS) posted a commanding 6-1, 6-1 victory over Watts at the No. 6 singles slot. The Gophers regained the lead, 3-1, with a pair of straight-set victories at No. 1 and No. 5. Reddy tallied a 6-4, 6-4 win against senior Joanne Musgrove (LaSalle, Ontario/Sandwich HS) at No. 5, and Buergis followed up Reddy's victory on the adjacent court with a 6-4, 7-6(1) victory over DaCosta at No. 1.
Michigan claimed victories in the first two three-set matches to even the match at three points apiece. Nolan registered a 5-7, 6-4, 6-0 victory against Vladea at No. 2 to ignite the Wolverines' three-set magic. Rutherford tied the score with a 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 win over Thomas at No. 3. Rutherford lost the first set and trailed 5-2 in the second before forcing a tiebreaker, which she won by a 7-4 margin, and she won the third set 6-2 to claim the victory.
Minnesota's Havelkova won a see-saw battle with junior Kim Plaushines (Oconomowoc, Wis./Kettle Moraine HS) at No. 4 to clinch the victory for the Gophers, 7-6(3), 5-7, 7-5. Havelkova rallied from a pair of 5-1 deficits to win sets while Plaushines trimmed 4-1 and 5-3 deficits in the second set into a victory.
The Wolverines complete the Big Ten weekend against Iowa tomorrow (Sunday, March 30, 11 a.m.) at the Varsity Tennis Center. U-M will look rebound from its first home loss of the season and end a three-match losing streak to the Hawkeyes.
Following are match-by-match results:
Singles
No. 1 -- Angela Buergis (MINN) d. Michelle DaCosta, 6-4, 7-6(1)
No. 2 -- Chrissie Nolan (MICH) d. Valerie Vladea, 5-7, 6-4, 6-0
No. 3 -- Leanne Rutherford (MICH) d. Amy Thomas, 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2
No. 4 -- Michaela Havelkova (MINN) d. Kim Plaushines, 7-6(3), 5-7, 7-5
No. 5 -- Nischela Reddy (MINN) d. Joanne Musgrove, 6-4, 6-4
No. 6 -- Jen Duprez (MICH) d. Brandi Watts, 6-1, 6-1
Doubles
No. 1 -- DaCosta/Rutherford (MICH) d. Thomas/Vladea, 8-4
No. 2 -- Buergis/Reddy (MINN) d. Plaushines/Duprez, 8-3
No. 3 -- Havelkova/Watts (MINN) d. Nolan/Debra Streifler, 9-7
Contact: David Ablauf (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
