| Junior Jenny Shular dominated her third set to secure a win at No. 4 singles, topping Iowa's Jacqueline Lee 7-5, 5-7, 6-1. The Lions will take on Minnesota at home Sunday, beginning at 10 a.m. |
University Park, Pa.; April 14, 2006 ?C Despite three singles wins, the Penn State women's tennis team came up short against No. 33 Iowa, bringing their record to 7-10 for the season.
Jenny Shular (Peachtree City, Ga.) defeated Iowa's Jacqueline Lee at the No. 4 singles spot. Shuler won her first set, 7-5. After being ahead 5-4, she dropped the second set, 5-7, and dominated the third, 6-1, to take home the win.
"Shular had a good match," said head coach Buffy Baker. "That girl [Lee] was on a streak, and she ended it. That's the Shular we know."
Lauren Holzberg (Easton, Conn.) scored another point for the Lions at No. 5 singles, easily topping Iowa's Krissy Dowlin, 6-2, 6-1.
Leyla Morzan (Vancouver, B.C.) also captured a win for the Lions. She defeated Hawkeye Merel Beelen, 6-4, 6-4.
"We competed and battled like a No. 33 team in the country, which they [Iowa] were," said Baker. "If we bring that to the table each time we play, we become a better team, and that's our goal."
At the No. 1 singles spot, Sasha Abraham (Hyderabad , India) won her first set, but came up short against Iowa's Meg Racette, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2. Andreea Niculescu (Montreal, Quebec) lost a hard-fought battle at the No. 2 spot, falling to Hillary Mintz, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.
In doubles play, the Lions came up short in all three matches. "We still have to find a win in doubles, and we're going to keep mixing things up to find combinations to get it done," said Baker.
The Lions remain at home for their next match. They will take on Minnesota Sunday at Sarni Tennis Center (weather permitting) beginning at 10 a.m.