Feb. 8, 2009
HUNTINGTON, W.Va.; - The Penn State women's tennis team fell to No. 45 Marshall today on the road 7-0, dropping to 2-3 for the spring season.
Marshall opened up the match with a sweep of the doubles competition, earning an early 1-0 lead. The Thundering Herd never looked back, shutting the Nittany Lions out in singles competition and improving to 5-2 on the season.
In doubles play, freshmen Monika Mical (Stalowa Wola, Poland) and Maria Prishlyak (Kiev, Ukraine) put up a fight against the country's No. 44 doubles pair, Kellie Schmitt and Karolina Soor, before falling 8-2. Thaddea Lock and Jessica Keener followed with a 8-1 win in No. 3 doubles over junior Sarah Lotto (Toronto, Ontario) and senior Dorothy Dohanics (Pittsburgh, Pa), securing the doubles point for the Herd. Junior Lauren McCarthy (Danbury, Conn.) and sophomore Denisa Zobeideh (Weston, Fla.) wrapped up doubles play with a win over Deanna Bailey and Isabell Raich in the No. 2 match up, 8-5.
In singles action, Soor defeated Zobeideh in straight sets, 6-2, 6-0 in the No. 3 match up. Schmitt, the nation's No. 33 singles player, followed with a win over Mical in the No. 1 slot, 6-1, 6-2. Prishlyak fell to Raich in No. 2 singles, 6-2, 6-2, while Keener clinched the Herd's victory with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Dohanics in the No. 5 match up. McCarthy hung with Bailey in No. 4 singles as they split their first two sets, but couldn't keep up and fell 6-2, 3-6, 11-9. In the final match of the day, senior Leyla Morzan (Vancouver, British Columbia) lost to Catherine Kellner, 6-1, 6-3 in the No. 6 slot.
The Nittany Lions return home next weekend for home matches against No. 35 Virginia Commonwealth Friday, Feb. 13 at 5 p.m. and No. 40 Denver Sunday, February 15 at 10:30 a.m. The matches will be held at the Penn State Indoor Tennis Center and admission is free.
Singles competition
1. #33 Kellie Schmitt (MAR) def. Monika Mical (PSU) 6-1, 6-2
2. Isabell Raich (MAR) def. Maria Prishlyak (PSU) 6-3, 6-3
3. Karolina Soor (MAR) def. Denisa Zobeideh (PSU) 6-2, 6-0
4. Deanna Bailey (MAR) def. Lauren McCarthy (PSU) 6-2, 3-6, 11-9
5. Jessica Keener (MAR) def. Dorothy Dohanics (PSU) 6-2, 6-2
6. Catherine Kellner (MAR) def. Leyla Morzan (PSU) 6-1, 6-3
Order of Finish: 3,1,2,5,4,6
Doubles competition 1. #44 Kellie Schmitt/Karolina Soor (MAR) def. Maria Prishlyak/Monika Mical (PSU) 8-3
2. Lauren McCarthy/Denisa Zobeideh (PSU) def. Deanna Bailey/Isabell Raich (MAR) 8-5
3. Thaddea Lock/Jessica Keener (MAR) def. Sarah Lotto/Dorothy Dohanics (PSU) 8-1
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2
Match Notes: Penn State 2-3, Marshall 5-2