| Junior Jenny Shular and the Nittany Lions dropped to 1-3 in the Big Ten Friday evening as they fell to No. 59 Iowa (5-2). PSU will be back in action Sunday at 10 a.m. to host the Minnesota Golden Gophers. All home matches take place at the Sarni Tennis Center off of Bigler Road, and admission is free. |
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA.; March 30, 2007 ?C Spring has finally reached University Park and the Penn State women??s tennis team (7-8, 1-3 Big Ten) had a chance to play outdoors at the Sarni Tennis Center this spring. However, the Nittany Lions ran into a tough No. 59 Iowa squad en route to a 5-2 loss Friday night.
In doubles action, Penn State came out strong as freshman Sarah Lotto (Toronto, Canada) and junior Jenny Shular (Peachtree City, Ga.) defeated Hillary Mintz and Merel Beelen (8-4). However, the Hawkeyes evened the doubles score at 1-1 when Jennifer Lee and Milica Veselinovic topped senior Sasha Abraham (Hyderabad, India) and sophomore Lauren Holzberg (Easton, Conn.) by an 8-4 margin. Iowa clinched the doubles point with a thrilling 9-8 win for Kayla Berry and Kelcie Klockenga over sophomore Dorothy Dohanics (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and freshman Lauren McCarthy (Danbury, Conn.) in third pairs.
In singles action, Holzberg fell to Mintz (6-0, 6-2) before Shular could cut the match deficit to 2-1 with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Berry in fourth singles. The Hawkeyes took control with a 6-2, 6-3 win for Veselinovic over Abraham in second singles and a 6-4, 6-3 first singles win for Lee over senior Andreea Niculescu (Montreal, Quebec). McCarthy dropped a pair of 6-3 sets to Beelen, while Dohanics rounded out singles play with an exciting three-set win over Klockenga in fifth singles (3-6, 6-1, 6-2)
??Iowa is the type of team that when you step up your game, they will raise their level as well,?? said head coach Buffy Baker. ??We matched their intensity at times, and had an overall great match. We will be ready for the [Minnesota] Golden Gophers on Sunday.??
The Blue and White will take on the No. 53 Minnesota Golden Gophers Sunday at 10 a.m. at the Sarni Tennis Center off of Bigler Road, and admission is free.
No. 59 Iowa 5, Penn State 2
Singles
- Jennifer Lee (Iowa) def. Andreea Niculescu (PSU) (6-4, 6-3)
- Milica Veselinovic (Iowa) def. Sasha Abraham (PSU) (6-2, 6-3)
- Hillary Mintz (Iowa) def. Lauren Holzberg (PSU) (6-0, 6-2)
- Jenny Shular (PSU) def. Kayla Berry (Iowa) (6-2, 6-4)
- Dorothy Dohanics (PSU) def. Kelcie Klockenga (Iowa) (3-6, 6-1, 6-2)
- Merel Beelen (Iowa) def. Lauren McCarthy (PSU) (6-3, 6-3)
Doubles
- Lee/Veselinovic (Iowa) def. Abraham/Holzberg (PSU) (8-4)
- Sarah Lotto/Shular (PSU) def. Mintz/Beelen (Iowa) (8-4)
- Berry/Klockenga (Iowa) def. Dohanics/McCarthy (PSU) (9-8)