Nov. 6, 2009
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.; - In the first day of play at the Purdue Invitational, senior Lauren McCarthy (Danbury, Conn.) and freshman Amy Simidian (Carlstadt, N.J.) picked up two wins for Penn State. Play continues through Sunday at the Schwartz Tennis Center in West Lafayette.
In doubles action against Michigan State, Simidian and McCarthy fell to the Spartans'Whitney Wilson and Amy Barton, 8-1. Sophomore tandem Kristen Roth (Ardmore, Pa.) and Maria Prishlyak (Kiev, Ukraine) hung with Nicole Herzog and Elena Ivanova, but were edged in an 8-6 decision.
The Nittany Lions and Spartans squared off again in the afternoon for singles play. McCarthy handed Wilson a 6-2, 7-5 loss while Simidian slid by Barton after a tight first set, 7-6(2), 6-1. Playing her first tennis of the fall season, Roth fell to Ivanova in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0. Sophomore Allie Hefter (Longmont, Colo.) topped Christine Miliken in her first set, 6-2, but Miliken answered in the second set with a 6-4 win. Hefter was unable to hang out, as she was edged 7-6(3) in the third set.
In other doubles action against Marquette, Simidian and McCarthy dropped their second match of the day to Rachael Hush and Christina Ruiz, 8-5. Freshman Sarah Henderson (Auckland, New Zealand) and Prishlyak fell to the Golden Eagle pair of Olga Fischer and Paola Calderon, 8-3. On the No. 3 court, Marquette's Gillian Hush and Maggie Wilson topped Roth and Hefter, 8-1.
Tomorrow, the Lions take Purdue in doubles at 9 a.m. Following in the afternoon, Penn State faces Purdue and Marquette in singles, at noon and 5 p.m., respectively. The team closes out the weekend with singles play against Michigan State on Sunday at 9 a.m.
Play at the Purdue Invitational continues through Monday. Following this weekend's tournament, the Nittany Lions take a break from competition until next semester. The Lions kick off spring play on Saturday, Jan. 23 when they host the Bucknell Bison at the Penn State Indoor Tennis Center at 11 a.m.
PURDUE INVITATIONAL: DAY ONE RESULTS
VS. MICHIGAN STATE
Singles
Lauren McCarthy def. Whitney Wilson (MSU), 6-2, 7-5
Amy Simidian (PSU) def. Amy Barton (MSU), 7-6(2), 6-1
Elena Ivanova (MSU) def. Kristen Roth (PSU), 6-4, 6-0
Christine Miliken (MSU) def Allie Hefter (PSU), 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(3)
Doubles
Whitney Wilson/Amy Barton (MSU) def. Amy Simidian/Lauren McCarthy (PSU), 8-1
Nicole Herzog/Elena Ivanova (MSU) def. Kristen Roth/Maria Prishlyak (PSU), 8-6
VS. MARQUETTE
Doubles
#1 Rachael Hush/Christina Ruiz (MU) def. Lauren McCarthy/Amy Simidian (PSU), 8-5
#2 Olga Fischer/Paola Calderon (MU) def. Sarah Henderson/Maria Prishlyak (PSU), 8-3
#3 Gillian Hush/Maggie Wilson (MU) def. Kristen Roth/Allie Hefter (PSU), 8-1