March 4, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; - The Penn State women's tennis team (2-7, 0-1 Big Ten) is back at home for the first time in two weeks as it welcomes No. 21 Ohio State to Happy Valley on Friday at 3 p.m. and Temple at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Both matches will be held at the Penn State Indoor Tennis Center and admission is free.
Last weekend against No. 29 VCU, freshman Petra Januskova (Ottawa, Ontario) continued her impressive three-match win streak with a straight set 6-1, 6-0 victory over Ana Bara in first singles. Prior to her win last weekend, Januskova also handled back-to-back nationally ranked opponents. Also against VCU, freshman Amy Simidian (Carlstadt, N.J.) picked up another point for the Lions as she topped Alex Bara in three sets, 3-6, 6-3, 10-7. Penn State lost the match, 5-2.
Senior Kirsten Flower is ranked No. 67 nationally for Ohio State in singles. She has compiled a 10-4 singles record this spring playing in the No. 1 spot for the Buckeyes. Ohio State is 11-3 this season, dropping matches to Florida State, No. 10 Tennessee and No. 7 Notre Dame. Friday's match is Ohio State's first action in conference play. The Buckeyes are the highest-ranked team Penn State has faced this season.
The Temple Owls are 3-4 this season, after having their last three matches canceled due to excessive snow. Senior Anastasia Rukavyshnykova leads the team with a singles record of 8-7, playing primarily in the No. 2 spot. In doubles play, Rukavyshnykova and junior Lucie Pazderova have been the Owls top duo, going 7-2 overall and 4-2 this spring.
Penn State is 15-26 all-time against the Buckeyes. Last year, the Nittany Lions fell to then-No. 37 Ohio State on the road, 6-1, on Feb. 28, 2009. This weekend marks the first-ever meeting between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Temple Owls.
Penn State hits the road next week for two non-conference matches in Texas. The Nittany Lions face the Bobcats of Texas State on Wednesday at 11 a.m. and the No. 22 SMU Mustangs on Friday, March 12 at noon. The following weekend, the Lions hit the East Coast for 2 p.m. match at Princeton on Saturday, March 20.