Sept. 13, 2009
WILLIAMSBURG, Va.; - As the Penn State women's tennis team closed out play at the 17th annual William & Mary Invitational, sophomore Maria Prishlyak (Kiev, Ukraine) took Flight E runner-up after putting up a fight against Kara Kucin of Marshall in a tight 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 match. Junior Denisa Zobeideh (Weston, Fla.) tallied a win for the Nittany Lions after defeating Maggie MacKeever of Maryland in Flight B singles, 3-6, 6-1, 10-3.
In the Flight A singles consolation, senior Lauren McCarthy (Danbury, Conn.) fell to Martha Blakely of Virginia Tech, 6-3, 6-4. Freshman Amy Simidian (Carlstadt, N.J.) led Anik Cepeda early in the Flight B singles consolation after taking the first set, 6-2, but Cepeda rallied to win 6-4 in the second set and 10-8 in the tiebreaker. Senior Sarah Lotto (Toronto, Ontario) dropped the Flight C ninth-place match to Lexi Brand of Maryland, 6-4, 6-1, while freshman Sarah Henderson (Auckland, New Zealand) fell to Giovanna Portioli of Winthrop, 6-2, 6-1, in the Flight D ninth-place match.
Sophomore Michaela Stracar (Jericho, N.Y.) battled back and forth with Katie Blow of Virginia Tech in the Flight D 11th-place match before falling, 6-4, 2-6, 10-4. In the Flight E seventh-place match, Tara Sheets of ETSU defeated sophomore Allie Hefter (Longmont, Colo.), 6-1, 6-0.
In doubles action, McCarthy and Simidian were edged by Carmen Pop and Nina Vulovich of William & Mary in the Flight A seventh-place match, 8-6. Henderson and Lotto fell to Sandra Herrera and Giovanna Portioli of Winthrop, 8-1.
The Nittany Lions have a few weeks off before heading to Pacific Palisades, Calif. the weekend of Oct. 2 for the pre-qualifying round of the All-American Championships. On Friday, Oct. 9, the Lions will head to Lexington, Ky. for the weekend to compete in the University of Kentucky Invitational.
William & Mary Invitational: Day Three Results
DOUBLES
Flight A Doubles
Seventh-Place Match: Pop/Vulovich (W&M) def. McCarthy/Simidian (PSU) - 8-6
Flight B Doubles
11th-Place Match: Herrera/Portioli (Winthrop) def. Henderson/Lotto (PSU) - 8-1
SINGLES
Flight A Singles
Consolation Match: Martha Blakely (Va. Tech) def. Lauren McCarthy (PSU) - 6-3, 6-4
Flight B Singles
13th-Place Match: Denisa Zobeideh (PSU) def. Maggie MacKeever (UMD) - 3-6, 6-1, 10-3
Consolation Match: Anik Cepeda (W&M) def. Amy Simidian (PSU) - 3-6, 6-4, 10-8
Flight C Singles
Ninth-Place Match: Lexi Brand (UMD) def. Sarah Lotto (PSU) - 6-4, 6-1
Flight D Singles
Ninth-Place Match: Giovanna Portioli (Winthrop) def. Sarah Henderson (PSU) - 6-2, 6-1
11th-Place Match: Katie Blow (Va. Tech) def. Michaela Stracar (PSU) - 6-4, 3-6, 10-4
Flight E Singles
Championship: Kara Kucin (Marshall) def. Maria Prishlyak (PSU) - 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
Seventh-Place Match: Tara Sheets (ETSU) def. Allie Hefter (PSU) - 6-1, 6-0