March 10, 2010
SAN MARCOS, Texas - The Penn State women's tennis team (4-8, 0-2 Big Ten) picked up its second-straight win today as it handled the Texas State Bobcats (7-2, 4-0 Southland Conference), 5-2. The Nittany Lions also recorded a 4-3 victory over Temple on Saturday, 4-3.
Penn State opened play with an early 1-0 advantage as the Nittany Lions swept the doubles competition. The Lions marched ahead to a 5-0 lead as they won the first four singles matches. Texas State put itself on the board by winning the final two matches of the day.
In doubles action, senior Sarah Lotto (Toronto, Canada) and freshman Amy Simidian (Carlstadt, N.J.) shut out Gabriela Rojas and Mariana Perez on the No. 2 court, 8-0. Senior Lauren McCarthy (Danbury, Conn.) and sophomore Michaela Stracar (Jericho, N.Y.) secured the doubles point for Penn State as they defeated Saskia Kruse and Nyssa Peele in third doubles, 8-5.
Freshman Petra Januskova (Ottawa, Canada) and Maria Prishlyak (Kiev, Ukraine) held off Andrea Giraldo and Melissa Hadad for a tight 8-7 victory in first doubles to complete the Nittany Lion doubles sweep.
With Penn State leading 1-0, singles play began. Simidian handled Rojas in convincing fashion on the No. 2 court to extend the Nittany Lion lead, 6-1, 6-0. Prishlyak followed in fourth singles, downing Kruse in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2.
Januskova clinched the match victory for Penn State as she cruised by Hadad on the No. 1 court, 6-2, 6-1, for her fifth singles win of the spring.
Following on the No. 3 court, McCarthy had no problem with Perez in a 6-1 first set, and battled back and forth in the second set to a 7-5 win to put Penn State ahead 5-0.
Peele scored the first point of the day for Texas State as she notched a 6-3, 1-6, 3-4 win over Henderson. In the final match of the day, Stracar put up a fight against Charalambous, but fell in the tiebreaker 3-6, 6-4, 10-7.
Next up, Penn State travels to No. 22 SMU this Friday at noon. The team is on the road against next weekend as it travels to New Jersey to take on Princeton on Saturday, March 20 at 2 p.m. The Nittany Lions return home Friday, April 2 to resume Big Ten play against Iowa at 5 p.m. and Minnesota on Sunday, April 4 at 11 a.m. Live statistics will now be available for all Penn State home matches on the women's tennis page at www.GoPSUSports.com
Penn State 5, Texas State 2
Doubles
1. Petra Januskova / Maria Prishlyak (PSU) def. Andrea Giraldo/Melissa Hadad (TSU), 8-7
2. Sarah Lotto / Amy Simidian (PSU) def. Gabriela Rojas/Mariana Perez (TSU), 8-0
3. Lauren McCarthy / Michaela Stracar (PSU) def. Saskia Kruse / Nyssa Peele (TSU), 8-5
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1
Singles
1. No. 66 Januskova (PSU) def. Hadad (TSU), 6-2, 6-1
2. Simidian (PSU) def. Rojas (TSU), 6-1, 6-0
3. McCarthy (PSU) def. Perez (TSU), 6-1, 7-5
4. Prishlyak (PSU) def. Kruse (TSU), 6-1, 6-2
5. Peele (TSU) def. Henderson (PSU), 6-3, 1-6, 3-4
6. Charalambous (TSU) def. Stracar (PSU), 3-6, 6-4, 10-7
Order of Finish: 2, 4, 1, 3, 5, 6