Women’s Tennis Gears Up for First Big Ten Road TestsWomen’s Tennis Gears Up for First Big Ten Road Tests

Women’s Tennis Gears Up for First Big Ten Road Tests

Penn State travels to East Lansing, Michigan for a battle with Michigan State on Saturday, March 15 at noon before taking on Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan at the same time the next day.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State Women’s Tennis (11-1, 2-0 B1G) goes on the road to Michigan State (9-4, 1-1 B1G) on Saturday, March 15 in East Lansing, Michigan at noon and No. 6 Michigan (9-3, 2-0 B1G) on Sunday in Ann Arbor, Michigan at the same time to continue the Big Ten slate.  

Penn State is ranked No. 33 in the latest ITA rankings, which is tied for its best standing in the polls since April 2, 2013. With an 8-0 record at home, the Nittany Lions are on their longest home winning streak in over 20 years.  

In Case You Missed it  

  • Penn State started Big Ten play with two 4-0 sweeps over Indiana and Purdue. 
  • The Nittany Lions owned the doubles point in both matches. On court one, Olivia Dorner and Maiko Uchijima defeated Indiana’s Lara Schneider and Nicole Teodosescu, 6-2, and Purdue’s No. 86 Carmen Guevera Gallardo and Tara Katarina Milic, 6-3.  
  • Yvonne Zuffova and Jelena Vico beat the Hoosiers’ Elisabeth Dunac and Magdal Swierczynska, 6-4, and the Boilermakers’ Ida Clement and Ashlie Wilson, 7-5. 
  • In singles action, Dorner played on court one for the Blue & White in both matches, winning 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 over Purdue’s Guevera Gallardo. At 7-3, she has already tied her dual match win total from a season ago. 
  • At the two spot, Uchijima won two three-set matches. She took down Indiana’s Teodosescu, 6-1, 6-7, 6-3, and Purdue’s Clement, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.  
  • Patricia Grigoras earned a dominant court three victory against IU’s Marina Fuduric, 6-1, 6-2. 
  • Vico notched her ninth dual win of the season with a 6-3, 6-4 triumph over Juana Larranaga at the four spot. She is tied with Grigoras for the most dual match victories on the team. 
  • On court five, Zuffova defeated Indiana’s Nicole Sifuentes, 6-3, 6-4. 

Scouting Report - Michigan State 

  • The Spartans enter the weekend at 9-4 (1-1 B1G) with their conference win coming against Nebraska, 4-2, and conference loss to Iowa, 1-4. 
  • Liisa Vehviläinen plays on court one singles with a record of 6-4. 
  • Michigan State’s court one doubles pair is Ellie Blackford and Vehviläinen with a record of 5-4. 

Scouting Report - Michigan 

  • The Wolverines enter the weekend at 9-3 (2-0 B1G) with their two conference wins coming against Nebraska and Iowa, both by 4-0 margins.  
  • Michigan is ranked No. 6 in the ITA rankings while having five ranked singles players and three ranked doubles pairs. 
  • Ranked doubles pairs include No. 27 Piper Charney and Jessica Bernales, No. 38 Bernales and Lily Jones and No. 48 Reese Miller and Julia Fliegner.  
  • Charney and Bernales are 5-4 on court one while Miller and Fliegner are 5-3 at the two spot. 
  • Fliegner is ranked No. 2 in singles and is currently undefeated on court one with a record of 8-0. Her doubles partner Miller holds a No. 80 ranking with a 1-3 record on court four, 5-0 record at the five spot and 1-0 on court six. 
  • Charney, 8-1 on court two, is No. 25 in singles.  
  • Jones, ranked No. 31 in singles, has a 7-3 record on court three. 
  • Emily Sartz-Lunde is ranked No. 96 in singles with a 2-1 record on court four and 1-2 record at the five spot.  

Series History - Michigan State 

  • The Nittany Lions lead the all-time series 22-14 against the Spartans.  
  • Penn State took the most recent meeting, 4-1, in Happy Valley.  

Series History - Michigan  

  • The Wolverines hold a 32-5 advantage in the all-time series against the Nittany Lions.  
  • Penn State’s last win in the series came in 2001, a 5-2 triumph in University Park.  

Follow along with the Nittany Lions on X, @PennStateWTEN, and on Instagram, @pennstatewtennis.