Michigan
Indiana
Doubles Points Proves Difference in U-M Loss to Indiana
4/10/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 25 University of Michigan women's tennis team had its six-match home winning streak snapped by No. 35 Indiana today (Saturday, April 10), falling to the Hoosiers 4-3 at the Varsity Tennis Center. After giving up the doubles point for the third consecutive match, the Wolverines (13-3, 4-2 Big Ten) could not overcome the deficit as the teams split the singles matches.
Senior Kim Plaushines (Oconowomoc, Wis./Kettle Moraine HS) and sophomore Debra Streifler (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park HS) collected U-M's only doubles victory, defeating the Hoosiers' Laura McGaffigan and Dora Vastag 8-2 at the No. 2 position. The Wolverine pair broke serve in four consecutive games to dominate the match.
Collecting singles wins for Michigan were junior Michelle DaCosta (Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne HS), senior Kavitha Tipirneni (Galloway, Ohio/Hilliard Darby HS) and Streifler. Playing the Hoosiers' Vastag at the No. 1 spot, DaCosta won four consecutive games to fight off the early break and win 7-5 in the first set. With the advantage in tow, the Wolverine junior won six straight games, breaking serve three times, to handily win the second set 6-1.
Collecting wins at the No. 3 and No. 6 positions, Tipirneni and Streifler both maintained their singles winning streaks. Tipirneni notched her 11th consecutive win with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 decision against Sarah Batty. The Wolverine senior rallied from a 1-4 deficit in the first set to win five straight games and take the initial advantage. Batty evened the score in the second set after breaking serve in the second game to lead early in the frame. Tipirneni rebounded in the deciding set, winning the first three games and breaking serve again in the sixth game to clinch the win.
Streifler posted nearly identical results in both sets of her match against the Hoosiers' Cecile Perton, breaking serve early to control throughout the frame. Streifler tallied a 6-3, 6-3 decision for her 10th straight win.
U-M hits the road next weekend for a pair of Big Ten dual meets against Illinois and Purdue. On Saturday (April 17), the Wolverines will travel to Champaign, Ill., for an 11 a.m. CDT match against the Fighting Illini before heading to West Lafayette, Ind., on Sunday (April 18) to face the Boilermakers at 11 a.m. EST/CDT.
Following are match-by-match results:
Singles
No. 1 -- #96 Michelle DaCosta (U-M) d. Dora Vastag, 7-5, 6-1
No. 2 -- Linda Tran (IU) d. #89 Elizabeth Exon, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4
No. 3 -- Kavitha Tipirneni (U-M) d. Sarah Batty, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
No. 4 -- Laura McGaffigan (IU) d. Chrissie Nolan, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
No. 5 -- Karie Schlukebir (IU) d. Leanne Rutherford, 6-2, 7-6(3)
No. 6 -- Debra Streifler (U-M) d. Cecile Perton, 6-3, 6-3
Doubles
No. 1 -- Batty/Tran (IU) d. DaCosta/Delicata, 8-3
No. 2 -- #46 Kim Plaushines/Streifler (U-M) d. Perton/Vastag, 8-2
No. 3 -- Martina Grimm/Schlukebir (IU) d. Rutherford/Tipirneni, 8-2
Order of Completion: Doubles 1-2-3, Singles 6-5-1-4-3-2
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
