Michigan
Purdue
Michigan Rolls Against Purdue in Big Ten Dual Matchup
4/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 36 University of Michigan women's tennis team remained near the top of the Big Ten Conference standings with a 5-2 victory over No. 43 Purdue Saturday afternoon (April 8) at the Varsity Tennis Center. The Wolverines (10-6, 4-2 Big Ten) claimed the doubles point for the fifth time in the last six matches, then followed with four wins in singles to avenge last season's 6-1 road loss to the Boilermakers (8-7, 3-2 Big Ten).
Michigan's newly ranked (No. 33) doubles team of senior Debra Streifler (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park HS) and junior Kara Delicata (LaSalle, Ontario/Sandwich Secondary School) continued to steamroll through its competition at the top spot, winning the first four games en route to an 8-3 triumph over Brooke Beier and Mallory Voelker. Streifler and Delicata have won six straight matches and hold a team-best 9-2 dual match record, including perfect marks in the conference (6-0) and the region (8-0).
Sophomore Allie Shafner (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) and freshman Chisako Sugiyama (Pasippany, N.J./The Montclair Kimberley Academy) earned four of the first five games in their 8-3 win over Anna Dzeva and Brittany Minna at No. 3, which clinched the doubles point for the Wolverines. Shafner and Sugiyama improve to 5-3 in dual match play and 3-1 in the Big Ten.
Freshman Lindsey Howard (Richmond, Va./Mills E. Godwin HS) provided Michigan with a 2-0 lead by making quick work of Minna, 6-0, 6-1, at No. 6 to improve her dual match record to 3-2. Streifler put U-M within one point of the team victory by disposing of Stephanie Wooten, 6-3, 7-5, at No. 4. It was Streifler's 80th career singles win and 50th in dual match action. She is now tied with Danielle Lund (1997-2000) for fifth place on Michigan's all-time singles wins list.
The 118th-ranked Delicata came up short against No. 66 Randi Schuler (6-3, 2-6, 6-1) at the top singles position, but Sugiyama's 6-0, 7-6(4) triumph over Dzeva at No. 5 ensured the Wolverines the team win. Sugiyama is the first U-M player to reach 20 overall singles victories in 2005-06. She has won three straight matches and holds a team-best 5-1 record in the Big Ten.
Junior Elizabeth Exon (Irvine, Calif./Woodbridge HS) secured her 60th career singles win with a 6-4, 6-2 decision over Beier at No. 2. Exon has been triumphant in five of her last seven matches.
The Wolverines return to the Varsity Tennis Center tomorrow (Sunday, April 9) to host Illinois at 11 a.m.
Following are match-by-match results:
Singles
No. 1 -- #66 Randi Schuler (PU) d. #118 Kara Delicata, 6-3, 2-6, 6-1
No. 2 -- Elizabeth Exon (U-M) d. Brooke Beier, 6-4, 6-2
No. 3 -- Mallory Voelker (PU) d. Nina Yaftali, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
No. 4 -- Debra Streifler (U-M) d. Stephanie Wooten, 6-3, 7-5
No. 5 -- Chisako Sugiyama (U-M) d. Anna Dzeva, 6-0, 7-6(4)
No. 6 -- Lindsey Howard (U-M) d. Brittany Minna, 6-0, 6-1
Doubles
No. 1 -- #33 Delicata/Streifler (U-M) d. Beier/Voelker, 8-3
No. 2 -- Schuler/Wooten (PU) d. Howard/Yaftali, 8-5
No. 3 -- Allie Shafner/Sugiyama (U-M) d. Dzeva/Minna, 8-3
Order of Completion: Doubles 1-3-2, Singles 6-4-1-5-2-3
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
