March 7, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; - In today's non-conference home match, the Penn State women's tennis team (2-9, 0-2) was topped by No. 71 Wichita State (9-2, 1-0), 6-1. Freshman Michaela Stracar (Jericho, N.Y.) picked up a singles win for the Nittany Lions.
"I was very proud of how Michaela played today," said head coach Dawna Prevette.
Wichita State took an early 1-0 lead in the match after sweeping the doubles competition. The Shockers continued their charge in singles, winning five of six matches. Penn State earned a victory in the No. 6 singles match-up to put the final score at 6-1.
In No. 2 doubles, the senior tandem of Leyla Morzan (Vancouver, British Columbia) and Dorothy Dohanics (Pittsburgh, Pa.) fell behind Anna Egorova and Stephanie Dalamico early, 3-0. The pair pulled back within two, but Wichita State stormed ahead from there to win, 8-1. Following in first singles, freshman Monika Mical (Stalowa Wola, Poland) and junior Sarah Lotto (Toronto, Ontario) dropped their first three sets to Lutfiana Budiharto and Lenore Lazaroiu. The Nittany Lion pair narrowed the margin to two at 3-1, followed by a Shocker run that put the score at 7-1. Mical and Lotto fought back to 7-3 before Budiharto and Lazaroiu won the decisive eighth point and clinched the doubles point for the Shockers.
Freshman Maria Prishlyak (Kiev, Ukraine) and junior Lauren McCarthy (Danbury, Conn.) found themselves in a 3-0 hole to begin third singles against Florentina Hanisch and Laryssa Ferreira. McCarthy and Prishlyak stormed back, behind 4-2 then eventually tying the match at 5-5. Hanisch and Ferreira held off the furious Nittany Lion comeback by winning the next three and taking the 8-5 win.
In singles competition, McCarthy fell to Dalmacio in straight sets in the No. 2 match-up, 6-1, 6-2. Following in first singles, Mical was within one of Egorova in the first set, trailing 4-3. Egorova went on to win the set 6-3 and shut Mical out in the second, 6-0.
With the Shockers ahead 3-0, Dohanics faced off with Budiharto on the No. 3 court. Dohanics started out strong, shutting Ludiharto out in the first set, 6-0. Ludiharto gained momentum in the second set, picking up a 6-2 victory. In the third set, Dohanics was not able to find a rhythm and was shut out, 6-0.
Prishlyak fell behind early in fourth singles, losing the first set to Torrie Browning, 6-1. Prishlyak moved ahead in the second set with a 3-0 lead before Browning fought back to tie the score at 5-5. With the score at 7-6, the set was forced into a tiebreaker. Browning came out on top in the battle, winning 10-8.
Following in No. 6 singles, Stracar dropped her first set to Ferreira, 3-6. Stracar's 6-1 victory in the second set tied the match. Finishing strong in only her second match of the spring season, Stracar earned a point for the Nittany Lions after winning the tiebreaker, 10-4.
In the final match of the day, Morzan faced Lazaroui in fifth singles. Lazaroui charged ahead to a 3-0 lead in the first set before Morzan climbed back to get within two at 5-3. Lazaroui took the lead by winning the set 6-3. Morzan faced another 3-0 deficit to start the second set and was unable to recoup, dropping the set 6-4.
The Nittany Lions head south next week for two matches in Florida. The Nittany Lions travel to South Florida on Friday, March 13 at 2 p.m. and Central Florida on Saturday, March 14 at 2 p.m. The Lions return home for a match with in-state rival Lehigh on Thursday, March 19 at 4 p.m. Admission to all Penn State home matches is free.
No. 66 Wichita State 6, Penn State 1
Doubles Competition
1. Anna Egorova/Stephanie Dalmacio (WSU) def. Monika Mical/Sarah Lotto (PSU) 8-3
2. Lutfiana Budiharto/Lenore Lazaroiu (WSU) def. Dorothy Dohanics/Leyla Morzan (PSU) 8-1
3. Florentina Hanisch/Laryssa Ferreira (WSU) def. Maria Prishlyak/Lauren McCarthy (PSU) 8-5
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3
Singles Competition
1. Anna Egorova (WSU) def. Monika Mical (PSU) 6-3, 6-0
2. Stephanie Dalmacio(WSU) def. Lauren McCarthy (PSU) 6-1, 6-2
3. Lutfiana Budiharto (WSU) def. Dorothy Dohanics (PSU) 0-6, 6-2, 6-0
4. Torrie Browning (WSU) def. Maria Prishlyak (PSU) 6-1, 7-6(8)
5. Lenore Lazaroiu (WSU) def. Leyla Morzan (PSU) 6-3, 6-4
6. Michaela Stracar (PSU) def. Laryssa Ferreira (WSU) 3-6, 6-1, 10-4
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3, 4, 6, 5