Jan. 24, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; - Coming off a season-opening victory over Bucknell yesterday, the Penn State women's tennis team (2-0, 0-0) picked up its first road win this afternoon, topping the Mountain Hawks of Lehigh (0-1, 0-0), 5-2.
In doubles play, senior Sarah Lotto (Toronto, Ontario) and sophomore Maria Prishlyak (Kiev, Ukraine) shut out Julie Arthofer and Liz Piscitelli in first doubles, winning 8-0. Sophomore Michaela Stracar (Jericho, N.Y.) and freshman Sarah Henderson (Auckland, New Zealand) followed with an 8-3 victory over the Mountain Hawk tandem of Stacey Reich and Patricia Muething. With the doubles point secured, Penn State defaulted the No. 3 doubles match to Isabel Breit and Gena Levengood.
With Penn State leading 1-0, the match moved into singles play. Playing in only her second collegiate match, freshman Stephanie Tarle (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) fell to Levengood in sixth singles, 6-0, 6-0. Prishlyak put Penn State ahead 2-1 with a straight-set win over Piscitelli, 6-1, 6-0. Following in first singles, Lotto topped Arthofer, 6-1, 6-0.
Henderson followed with a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Reich on the No. 3 court, putting Penn State ahead 4-1 and securing a second straight match victory for the Nittany Lions. Stracar extended the Lions' lead to 5-1 as she handled Muething in fourth singles, 6-1, 6-1. With the match victory clinched, Penn State chose to default in the No. 6 singles to Kiera Murasko-Blank.
The Lions are back at home on Friday to host the Akron Zips at 5 p.m. at the Penn State Indoor Tennis Center. Penn State opens Big Ten play the following weekend when it travels to West Lafayette, Ind. to take on the Purdue Boilermakers on Feb. 5 at 2 p.m. Admission to all Penn State home matches is free.
Penn State 5, Lehigh 2
Doubles
1. Lotto/Prishlyak (PSU) def. Arthofer/Piscitelli (LU) 8-0
2. Stracar/Henderson (PSU) def. Reich/Muething (LU) 8-3
3. Penn State default to Isabel Breit/Gena Levengood
Order of Finish: 3, 1, 2
Singles
1. Sarah Lotto (PSU) def. Julie Arthofer (LU) 6-1, 6-0
2. Maria Prishlyak (PSU) def. Liz Piscitelli (LU) 6-1, 6-0
3. Sarah Henderson (PSU) def. Stacey Reich (LU) 6-0, 6-1
4. Michaela Stracar (PSU) def. Patricia Muething (LU) 6-1, 6-1
5. Gena Levengood (LU) def. Stephanie Tarlle (PSU) 6-0, 6-0
6. Penn State default to Kiera Murasko-Blank
Order of Finish: 6, 5, 2, 1, 3, 4