Michigan
Michigan State
Michigan Defeats Michigan State for 11th Straight Win
4/9/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Site: East Lansing, Mich. (MSU Indoor Tennis Facility)
Score: Michigan 6, Michigan State 1
Records: U-M (13-4, 6-1 Big Ten), Michigan State (12-9, 3-4 Big Ten)
Next U-M Match: Saturday, April 12 -- vs. Penn State (Varsity Tennis Center), 11 a.m.
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The No. 26-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team extended its winning streak to 11 matches with a 6-1 victory over intrastate rival Michigan State Wednesday evening (April 9) at the MSU Indoor Tennis Facility. The Wolverines (13-4, 6-1 Big Ten) captured their 11th straight doubles point and secured wins on five of six singles courts, clinching U-M's seventh straight victory over the Spartans (12-9, 3-4 Big Ten).
Junior Lindsey Howard(Richmond, Va./Mills E. Godwin HS) and freshman Denise Muresan(Lincolnshire, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson HS) posted a dominating 8-1 triumph over Stephanie Kebler and Lindsey Lonergan at No. 3 doubles to give U-M the early momentum. Howard and Muresan have won nine of 13 together in 2007-08.
Junior Chisako Sugiyama(Parsippany, N.J./The Montclair Kimberley Academy) and sophomore Tania Mahtani's(Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula HS) ninth straight victory at No. 1 -- 8-5 over Christine Bader and Whitney Wilson -- gave the Wolverines a 1-0 lead. Sugiyama and Mahtani hold a 13-4 record in dual-match play and remain undefeated in the Big Ten Conference at 7-0.
Senior Allie Shafner(Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) and freshman Whitney Taney(Edina, Minn./Edina HS) won for the third straight time at No. 2, outlasting Ana Milosavljevic and Manon Noe by an 8-7(4) count to complete Michigan's seventh doubles sweep of the year.
Sugiyama, ranked 46th nationally in singles, cruised to a 6-1, 6-1 win over No. 113-ranked Bader at No. 1 to put U-M in front 2-0. Sugiyama has been victorious in 12 straight outings at the top spot and has not surrendered a set since Feb. 15. Howard also put forth a strong performance, claiming a 6-3, 6-1 decision over Wilson at No. 6 to put Michigan within one point of wrapping up the team win. Howard has won 11 of 15 at the sixth position this season.
Mahtani picked up her sixth victory in seven tries at the No. 4 slot with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 triumph over Lonergan that clinched the team win for the Maize and Blue. Freshman Rika Tatsuno(Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula HS) kept things rolling with a 6-2, 6-3 decision over Milosavljevic at No. 5, marking her 11th straight win. Muresan kept her perfect record at No. 3 intact (7-0) and pushed her winning streak to 12 matcheswith a 2-6, 6-2, 1-0(9) comeback victory over Noe to round out the team scoring for U-M.
The Wolverines return to action on Saturday (April 12) when they welcome Penn State to the Varsity Tennis Center for an 11 a.m. match.
Following are match-by-match results:
Singles
No. 1 -- #46 Chisako Sugiyama (U-M) d. #113 Christine Bader, 6-1, 6-1
No. 2 -- Stephanie Kebler (Michigan State) d. Whitney Taney, 3-6, 6-3, 1-0(1)
No. 3 -- Denise Muresan (U-M) d. Manon Noe, 2-6, 6-2, 1-0(9)
No. 4 -- #105 Tania Mahtani (U-M) d. Lindsey Lonergan, 6-1, 6-2
No. 5 -- Rika Tatsuno (U-M) d. Ana Milosavljevic, 6-2, 6-3
No. 6 -- Lindsey Howard (U-M) d. Whitney Wilson, 6-3, 6-1
Doubles
No. 1 -- #56 Mahtani/Sugiyama (U-M) d. Bader/Wilson, 8-5
No. 2 -- Allie Shafner/Taney (U-M) d. Milosavljevic/Noe, 8-7(4)
No. 3 -- Howard/Muresan (U-M) d. Kebler/Lonergan, 8-1
Order of Completion: Doubles 3-1-2, Singles 1-6-4-5-2-3
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
