Michigan
Penn State
Michigan Upends Penn State in Regular-Season Finale
4/24/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The No. 41 University of Michigan women's tennis team closed out the regular season in winning fashion, earning an important 5-2 victory over Penn State Sunday afternoon (April 24) at the Sarni Tennis Center. The Wolverines (11-10) swept the doubles competition and took four of six singles matches in straight sets to complete the Big Ten season with a 6-4 record.
A pair of 8-3 doubles victories at Nos. 2 and 3 gave Michigan the first point of the match. Junior Debra Streifler (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park HS) and sophomore Elizabeth Exon (Irvine, Calif./Woodridge HS) took care of Jessica McKeown and Andreea Niculescu, while senior Leanne Rutherford (Calgary, Alberta/National Sports School) and freshman Allie Shafner (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) clinched the doubles point with a win over Sasha Abraham and Sarah Spence.
Michigan's 26th-ranked tandem of senior Michelle DaCosta (Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne HS) and sophomore Kara Delicata (LaSalle, Ontario/Sandwich Secondary) completed the doubles sweep by squeezing past Maaria Husain and Jenny Schular 9-8 at No. 1. DaCosta and Delicata move their dual match record to 15-5 heading into the postseason.
Schular handed Streifler just her third loss in 10 conference matches, 6-2, 7-6(3) at No. 5, to put the Nittany Lions on the scoreboard. Exon rebounded from a tough loss at Indiana on Friday (April 22) and blew past Abraham 6-3, 6-3 at No. 2 to put the Wolverines back on top 2-1. Exon holds a 9-9 record at the position in 2005.
Delicata snapped a four-match losing skid and gave Michigan its third team point with a 6-4, 7-6(4) decision over Spence at No. 3. Husain prevented the Wolverines from clinching the team victory at No. 1, as she upset No. 64 DaCosta 7-5, 7-6(5).
Junior Nina Yaftali (Westlake Village, Calif./Westlake HS) wrapped things up with a 6-1, 6-2 triumph over Katelyn BeVard at No. 6. Yaftali holds an 8-2 mark against conference opponents and a team-best 21-11 overall record in 2004-05.
Rutherford closed out the match with a dominating performance against Niculescu, winning 6-1, 6-1 to improve her season record to 11-9 at No. 4.
The Wolverines await seeding for the upcoming 2005 Big Ten Championship hosted by Michigan State University. The team tournament will be played April 28-May 1 at the MSU Outdoor Tennis Courts in East Lansing, Mich.
Following are match-by-match results:
Singles
No. 1 -- Maaria Husain (PSU) d. #64 Michelle DaCosta, 7-5, 7-6(5)
No. 2 -- Elizabeth Exon (U-M) d. Sasha Abraham, 6-3, 6-3
No. 3 -- Kara Delicata (U-M) d. Sarah Spence, 6-4, 7-6(4)
No. 4 -- Leanne Rutherford (U-M) d. Andreea Niculescu, 6-1, 6-1
No. 5 -- Jenny Schular (PSU) d. Debra Streifler, 6-2, 7-6(3)
No. 6 -- Nina Yaftali (U-M) d. Katelyn BeVard, 6-1, 6-2
Doubles
No. 1 -- #26 DaCosta/Delicata (U-M) d. Husain/Schular, 9-8
No. 2 -- Rutherford/Shafner (U-M) d. Abraham/Spence, 8-3
No. 3 -- Exon/Streifler (U-M) d. Jesscia/McKeown/Niculescu, 8-3
Order of Completion: Doubles 3-2-1, Singles 5-2-3-1-6-4
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
