UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State women’s tennis secured a 4-1 victory against Oregon on Senior Day presented by the Penn State Alumni Association on Sunday afternoon at the Indoor Tennis Center. The program honored Olivia Dorner and Maiko Uchijima as part of the Senior Day festivities.
The victory clinched Penn State a berth in the Big Ten Women’s Tennis Tournament presented by Allstate from April 23-26 at Ohio State’s Ty Tucker Tennis Center. The Nittany Lions improved to 14-10 (5-8 Big Ten) while the Ducks dropped to 12-13 (3-10 Big Ten).
Maria Daciana Ciubotaru clinched the match for the Nittany Lions for the seventh time in a row. Prior to her triumph, Maelie Monfils, Patricia Grigoras and Uchijima earned singles victories.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Oregon won the doubles point with wins on courts one and three. Court three was the first to finish as Brianna Baldi and Ciubotaru fell, 6-2, against Virginia Crocker and Bridget Mihulka. The Ducks clinched the point as No. 89 Dorner and Monfils dropped a 6-4 result to Tilde Jagare and Olivia Symons.
Grigoras and Uchijima held a 6-5 lead over Hinata Furutani and Juliet Santitto on court two as the match went unfinished.
The Blue & White responded with four consecutive singles wins to take the match.
Monfils cruised at the top spot to even the score at 1-1 with her third Big Ten singles victory on court one. The junior jumped to a hot start and never looked back as she closed out a dominant, 6-1, 6-2, performance against Jagare.
Grigoras made it 2-1 Penn State with a court two victory, improving to 7-5 in Big Ten play. Grigoras and Symons were in a tight, 4-4 battle in the first before Grigoras closed it out on a two-game run and earned the 6-4 win. The sophomore carried the momentum into the second frame, taking it 6-2, to win her match.
Uchijima extended the PSU lead just seconds after Grigoras’ triumph. The senior earned a resounding 6-1, 6-3 victory against Crocker at three spot in her final home match as a Nittany Lion. The victory served as Uchijima’s 60th career singles win.
Ciubotaru clinched the match for the eighth time this season, seventh in a row, on court five. The sophomore held steady from start to finish, taking her match against Mihulka, 6-4, 6-2, to send Penn State to the Big Ten Women’s Tennis Tournament presented by Allstate.
On court four, Dorner and Patsy Daughters were in an intense 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 4-4 match before it went unfinished. At the six spot, Baldi took the first set against Santitto, 7-5, and was tied 2-2 in second as the match would be abandoned.
RESULTS
Penn State 4, Oregon, 1 – Indoor Tennis Center – University Park, Pa.
Doubles
1. Tilde Jagare/Olivia Symons (ORE) def. No. 89 Olivia Dorner/Maelie Monfils (PSU): 6-4
2. Patricia Grigoras/Maiko Uchijima (PSU) vs. Hinata Furutani/Juliet Santitto (ORE): 6-5 (unfinished)
3. Virginia Crocker/Bridget Mihulka (ORE) def. Brianna Baldi/Maria Daciana Ciubotaru (PSU): 6-2
Singles
1. Maelie Monfils (PSU) def. Tilde Jagare (ORE): 6-1, 6-2
2. Patricia Grigoras (PSU) def. Olivia Symons (ORE): 6-4, 6-2
3. Maiko Uchijima (PSU) def. Virginia Crocker (ORE): 6-1, 6-3
4. Olivia Dorner (PSU) vs. Patsy Daughters (ORE): 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 4-4 (unfinished)
5. Maria Daciana Ciubotaru (PSU) def. Bridget Mihulka (ORE): 6-4, 6-2
6. Brianna Baldi (PSU) vs. Juliet Santitto (ORE): 7-5, 2-2 (unfinished)
UP NEXT
Penn State will compete at the Big Ten Women’s Tennis Tournament presented by Allstate from April 23-26 at Ohio State’s Ty Tucker Tennis Center. Opponent and time are still to be determined.
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