UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Two student-athletes on the Penn State women’s tennis team earned Big Ten postseason honors per a conference announcement on Wednesday afternoon. Patricia Grigoras earned placement on the All-Big Ten Second Team while Brianna Baldi was Penn State’s Sportsmanship Award Honoree.
PATRICIA GRIGORAS: ALL-BIG TEN SECOND TEAM
- Grigoras secured her second Big Ten postseason honor in as many seasons with her All-Big Ten Second Team selection. The sophomore was on the Big Ten All-Freshman a year ago.
- The Middle Village, New York native compiled a 7-5 record in Big Ten across the top three courts, mainly court two where her record was 4-3. Notable wins include her first career ranked win against Ohio State’s No. 114 Sophia Cisse-Ignatiev, 6-1, 5-7, [11-9], and her first Big Ten court one win over Rutgers’ Mai Nguyen, 6-0, 7-6 (7-4).
- Her other Big Ten victories came against Michigan State’s Matilde Morais, 6-3, 6-3, on court three in addition to court two triumphs over Iowa’s Daianne Hayashida, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, Nebraska’s Conley Raidt, 6-1, 7-5, Purdue’s Ida Clement, 6-1, 6-1, and Oregon’s Olivia Symons, 6-4, 6-2.
- Overall, Grigoras posted a 12-10 singles record in dual matches this spring and has won five of her last seven singles contests.
- In doubles, Grigoras spent most of her time in tandem with Maiko Uchijima on court two. The duo went 9-7 in dual matches with four Big Ten wins on court two.
- Grigoras and Uchijima picked up Big Ten doubles victories in the matches against Michigan State, Maryland, Indiana and Purdue.
BRIANNA BALDI: SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD HONOREE
- In her first year at Penn State, Baldi earned recognition as a Sportsmanship Award Nominee by distinguishing herself both on and off the court through sportsmanship, ethical behavior, success in the classroom and good citizenship.
- The sophomore’s impact on the court was felt from her first appearance in the Blue & White when she won her flights in singles with a 3-0 record and earned two doubles wins alongside Grigoras at the Debbie Southern Fall Classic. She earned Big Ten Player of the Week for her efforts.
- The Greensboro, North Carolina native went 7-5 in singles during the spring, including a 3-3 mark in Big Ten competition across courts five and six. Baldi’s Big Ten singles triumphs came against No. 2 Ohio State’s Flora Johnson, 7-5, 6-1, Purdue’s Emmi Kolyszko, 6-4, 7-6, and No. 22 Washington’s Karolina Kozakova, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4).
- Baldi earned two Big Ten doubles victories alongside Maria Daciana Ciubotaru. The pair secured a ranked triumph over Michigan’s No. 68 Piper Charney and Emily Sartz-Lunde, 6-3. Baldi and Ciubotaru also defeated Michigan State’s Amara Brahmbhatt and Nina Plihal, 6-4.
12-seed Penn State will face fifth-seeded and No. 23 Washington in the first round of the Big Ten Women’s Tennis Tournament presented by Allstate at 11:30 on Thursday at the Auer Tennis Complex on the campus of the Ohio State University.
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