Michigan
Alabama
Michigan Suffers First Dual Loss on the Road at Alabama
3/14/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The No. 17-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team suffered its first loss of the season, falling 4-3 at No. 37 Alabama on Sunday (March 14) at the UA Rec Courts. The Wolverines (7-1) won two of three in doubles to take the point but dropped four of the six singles matches.
Alabama won the first match of the day as Robin Stephenson and Ashley Bentley defeated U-M's Michelle DaCosta (Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne HS) and Kara Delicata (LaSalle, Ontario/Sandwich Secondary) 8-3. However, Michgian bounced back as the No. 1 pair of Kim Plaushines (Oconomowoc, Wis./Kettle Moraine HS) and Debra Streifler (Highland Park, Ill./HIghland Park HS) topped Millie Begovic and Melissa Minor 8-3, and the No. 3 pair of Kavitha Tipirneni (Galloway, Ohio/Hilliard Darby HS) and Leanne Rutherford (Calgary, Alberta/National Sports School) notched a 9-8 victory over Alabama's Mari Muller and Nathalie Koppelle.
With one point earned after the doubles matches, Michigan fell in the first two singles pairings decided. Stephensen topped DaCosta 7-5, 6-2 in the No. 4 spot, and Bentley defeated Elizabeth Exon (Irvine, Calif./Woodbridge HS) 6-2, 6-2 at No. 3.
The Wolverines answered with Tipirneni's 6-3, 6-2 win over Koppelle in the No. 6 slot to tie the match at 2-2. However, the Crimson Tide won the next two pairings to clinch the match. Begovic defeated Chrissie Nolan (Glenview, Ill./Glenbroook South HS) 6-4, 6-0 at No. 2 and Minor topped Rutherford 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 in the top spot to seal the win.
In the final pairing of the day, Streifler notched a victory for Michigan over Muller, winning 7-6, 6-2 at No. 5.
The Wolverines will return home to face Western Michigan at the Varsity Tennis Center on Wednesday (March 17). The match is slated to start at 6 p.m.
Following are match-by-match results:
Singles
No. 1 -- #50 Robin Stephenson (UA) d. #99 Michelle DaCosta, 7-5, 6-2
No. 2 -- Ashley Bentley (UA) d. #67 Elizabeth Exon, 6-2, 6-2
No. 3 -- Kavitha Tipirneni (U-M) d. Nathalie Koppelle, 6-2, 6-2
No. 4 -- Millie Begovic (UA) d. Chrissie Nolan, 6-4, 6-0
No. 5 -- Melissa Minor (UA) d. Leanne Rutherford, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5
No. 6 -- Debra Streifler (U-M) d. Mari Muller, 7-6, 6-2
Doubles
No. 1 -- Stephenson/Bentley (UA) d. #43 DaCosta/Kara Delicata, 8-3
No. 2 -- #36 Kim Plaushines/Streifler (U-M) d. Begovic/Minor, 8-3
No. 3 -- Tipirneni/Rutherford (U-M) d. Muller/Koppelle, 9-8
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
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Players Mentioned
