March 26, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; - Coming off a non-conference win over Lehigh last the week, the Penn State women's tennis team is back in action Friday at No. 64 Minnesota for a 6:30 p.m. match at the Baseline Tennis Center. The Lions travel to Iowa Sunday for their fourth Big Ten match of the season against the No. 63 Hawkeyes at the Iowa City Recreation Complex at 12 p.m.
Last time out, the Nittany Lions (3-11, 0-2 Big Ten) defeated the Mountain Hawks of Lehigh, 6-1. Penn State won five of six singles matches and swept the doubles competition. The Lions sealed their victory early by winning the first four singles matches. Freshman Maria Prishlyak (Kiev, Ukraine) handled Stacey Reich in straight sets in fifth singles, 6-2, 6-0. In the No. 6 match-up, freshman Michaela Stracar (Jericho, N.Y.) topped Ruthie Furman, 6-1, 6-0.
In doubles play, freshmen Allie Hefter (Longmont, Colo.) and Kristen Roth (Ardmore, Pa.) shined in their first collegiate matches, edging Reich and Furman, 8-6. Sophomore Denisa Zobeideh (Weston, Fla.) and junior Lauren McCarthy (Danbury, Conn.) extended their doubles win streak to three matches with a convincing No. 2 victory over Julie Arthofer and Elizabeth Piscitelli, 8-1.
Head coach Tyler Thompson is in his eighth season at Minnesota. The Gophers are coming off their first Big Ten victory of the season over Michigan State, 6-1. Minnesota is currently 1-2 in Big Ten play and ranked eighth in the league. Junior Tijana Koprivica leads Minnesota with an 11-1 record in spring play. In four matches last week, Koprivica went 4-0 in singles and 3-1 in doubles. Freshman standout Niltooli Wilkins is 11-6 this season.
Ranked fifth in the Big Ten with a 2-1 league record, Iowa is 7-7 overall during spring play. The Hawkeyes are a young team with only one senior. Freshman Sonja Molnar is the No. 92 singles player in the nation. Molnar has been tough to beat this year, compiling a 12-2 record playing in the No. 1 singles and doubles spots for the Hawkeyes. Head coach Daryl Greenan is in his fifth year at Iowa. The Hawkeyes are 20-2 all-time against the Nittany Lions. In their most recent meeting, Iowa ended Penn State's season at the 2008 Big Ten Championship, 4-1.
Following this weekend's road trip, the Nittany Lions return to Happy Valley to host Big Ten rivals Michigan State and Michigan. The Lions face the Spartans on Saturday, April 4 at 11 a.m. and the Wolverines Sunday, April 5 at 10 a.m. Weather permitting; the matches will be played outdoors at the Sarni Tennis Center off of Bigler Road. Admission to all Penn State home matches is free.