Michigan State University
Toledo
MSU Women's Tennis Sweeps Toledo, 7-0
1/26/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Jan. 26, 2002
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State women's tennis team opened the 2002 home season by sweeping Toledo, 7-0, Saturday at the MSU Indoor Tennis facility. The Spartans improved to 1-1 on the season, while Toledo dropped to 0-1.
"It's a great way to start the season," said MSU head coach Tim Bauer. "We're doing a lot of the basics well. I think in the next couple of months our level of play is going to just keep rising. I'm happy with where we're at but we've got a long way to go."
MSU dominated the match, winning every set of every match. The Spartans opened the match by winning all three doubles matches to take the singles point. At No. 1, freshmen Kate Thomas (Long Beach, Calif.) and Mandy Caldemeyer (Grand Rapids, Mich.) earned an 8-6 victory, while sophomores Caroline Lay (Brisbane, Austrailia) and Trine Lise Juliussen (Oslo, Norway) claimed an 8-5 victory at No. 2. The Spartans completed the sweep at No. 3 doubles, as junior ?sa Lid?n (Vandersborg, Sweden) and freshman Dora Vastag (Okemos, Mich.) won 8-2.
In singles, Caldemeyer earned MSU's first point with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Natalya Natyshak at No. 3. Juliussen nearly stumbled at No. 4, losing a 5-2 lead in the second set against the Rockets' Whitney Wasielewski to fall behind 6-5, but battled back for a 6-1, 7-6(2) victory.
Vastag kept things rolling with a hard-fought 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 1 against Toledo's Monica Ribero. Liden, who had to wait until one of the four courts opened up before starting her match at No. 5, cruised to a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Toledo's Eva Szuch.
Thomas earned MSU's sixth point at No. 6 when Toledo's Marivi Cuartin was forced to retire with an injury while trailing 4-1 in the opening set. Finally, in the day's longest match, Lay battled to a 6-4, 6-4 victory at No. 2 singles in a nearly two-hour marathon against Toledo's Viviana Rivero.
Assistant coach Brett Page was impressed with several performances by the Spartans. "Liden won 0 and 0 at five, that was a very quick match," stated Page. "She dominated her play. She played unbelievable tennis.
"I liked the really tough matches. Juliussen won a really tough tiebreaker in the second set after her opponent came back and had taken the momentum. When the going got tough, she got really, really tough and played smart and made the right shots. I was really impressed with the way we played as a team."
The Spartans return to action next Saturday, Feb. 2, when MSU visits Eastern Michigan, before hosting Bowling Green Sunday, Feb. 3, at 9 a.m.
Michigan State 7, Toledo 0
Singles1 - Dora Vastag (MSU) def. Monica Ribero (UT), 6-3, 6-32 - Caroline Lay (MSU) def. Viviana Rivero (UT), 6-4, 6-43 - Mandy Caldemeyer (MSU) def. Natalya Natyshak (UT), 6-2, 6-04 - Trine Lise Juliussen (MSU) def. Whitney Wasielewski (UT), 6-1, 7-6(2)5 - ?sa Lid?n (MSU) def. Eva Szuch (UT), 6-0, 6-06 - Kate Thomas (MSU) def. Marivi Cuartin (UT), 4-1 ret. inj.
Doubles1 - Thomas/Caldemeyer (MSU) def. Ribero/Rivero (UT), 8-62 - Lay/Juliussen (MSU) def. Natyshak/Wasielewski (UT), 8-53 - Lid?n/Vastag (MSU) def. Szuch/Cuartin (UT), 8-2
