Michigan
Penn State
Michigan Beats Penn State, Stays Undefeated at Home
3/27/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 19 University of Michigan women's tennis team swept the doubles competition and recorded four singles wins to post a 5-2 victory against Penn State on Saturday afternoon (March 27) at the Varsity Tennis Center. With the victory, the Wolverines (11-1, 2-0 Big Ten) improve their home record to 7-0 this season.
U-M gained the early lead by sweeping all three doubles matches to claim the doubles point. Junior Michelle DaCosta (Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne HS) and freshman Kara Delicata (LaSalle, Ontario/Sandwich Secondary) paced the Wolverines at the No. 1 position, breaking serve three times en route to an 8-1 win over the Nittany Lions' Megan Marton and Leigh Ann Merryman. At the No. 2 position, senior Kim Plaushines (Oconomowoc, Wis./Kettle Moraine HS) and sophomore Debra Streifler (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park HS) won five of the final six games to notch their 20th doubles victory together this season with an 8-4 decision over Maaria Husain and Jessica McKeown.
Three straight-set singles wins put the dual-meet victory away for the Wolverines as Streifler and seniors Chrissie Nolan (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South HS) and Kavitha Tipirneni (Galloway, Ohio/Hilliard Darby HS) all dominated their Nittany Lion opponents. Streifler and Nolan each broke serve six times and dropped just one game piece in their victories over Penn State's Lindsay Downing and Sarah Spence at the No. 6 and No. 4 positions, respectively.
After putting away her first set against Maaria Husain 6-4 at the No. 3 spot, Tipirneni broke serve in the fifth game of the second set and won four straight games to seal the victory for Michigan. With the 6-4, 6-2 singles win, the Wolverine senior extends her winning streak to seven consecutive matches.
DaCosta added another singles win for the Maize and Blue, defeating Penn State's Leigh Ann Merryman 6-4, 2-6, 1-0(5) at the No. 1 position.
The Wolverines will return to the hardcourt tomorrow (Sunday, March 28) for a dual meet against Big Ten rival Ohio State at 11 a.m. at the Varsity Tennis Center.
Following are match-by-match results:
Singles
No. 1 -- Michelle DaCosta (U-M) d. Leigh Ann Merryman, 6-4, 2-6, 1-0(5)
No. 2 -- Megan Marton (PSU) d. #72 Elizabeth Exon, 6-4, 1-6, 1-0(6)
No. 3 -- Kavitha Tipirneni (U-M) d. Maaria Husain, 6-4, 6-2
No. 4 -- Chrissie Nolan (U-M) d. Sarah Spence, 6-1, 6-0
No. 5 -- Sasha Abraham (PSU) d. Leanne Rutherford, 7-6(7), 3-6, 1-0(2)
No. 6 -- Debra Streifler (U-M) d. Lindsay Downing, 6-0, 6-1
Doubles
No. 1 -- #30 DaCosta/Kara Delicata (U-M) d. Marton/Merryman, 8-1
No. 2 -- #32 Kim Plaushines/Streifler d. Husain/Jessica McKeown, 8-4
No. 3 -- Tipirneni/Rutherford (U-M) d. Katelyn BeVard/Downing, 8-4
Order of Completion: Doubles 1-2-3, Singles 6-4-3-1-2-5
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
