Michigan State University
Iowa
Spartan Women's Tennis Falls To Iowa, 5-2
3/29/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
March 29, 2003
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State women's tennis team fell to 8-8 on the season and 0-4 in the Big Ten as it was defeated by Iowa, 5-2 on Saturday (March 29). Iowa improves to 4-9 overall and 2-2 in the Big Ten. The Spartans will try to capture their first Big Ten win of the season again on Sunday (March 30) as they host No. 38 Minnesota at the MSU Indoor Tennis Facility on Mt. Hope Road in East Lansing. Minnesota is 9-5 overall and 2-1 in Big Ten conference matches.
In doubles competition Saturday, the Spartans picked up a win at the No. 1 spot but fell at the No. 2 and 3 spots, giving Iowa the doubles point. Junior Caroline Lay (Brisbane, Australia) and sophomore Keri Thompson (Clark Lake, Mich.) defeated Iowa's Steffi Hoch and Gloria Okino, 8-4, at No. 1.
MSU's two singles victories came at the No. 1 and No. 4 spots. Lay defeated Cassie Haas in the No. 1 position after the match was retired when Haas sustained an injury. Lay was leading 7-5, 1-0, and now leads the team in overall victories with 28. Sophomore Kate Thomas (Long Beach, Calif.) picked up her 21st victory of the season as she downed Chelsea Glynn, 6-4, 0-6, 10-7 in the only three-set match of the day.
The Spartans, who have battled injuries all season, were without freshman Jean Willman (Alberton, Australia), who played primarily at the No. 2 singles and doubles positions for MSU. She has an 11-4 spring singles record and a 19-11 record for singles and doubles combined.
With the injuries and setbacks Michigan State has faced, head coach Tim Bauer keeps a positive outlook on the season.
"If you compare our team to what coach Izzo has done with the men's basketball team, we just have to keep developing and get the most out of the players we have. The basketball team struggled and lost games, but they kept working and improving and are peaking at the right time," said Bauer. "The experience is great, we know we are a program that is still growing and we are still shooting for victories."
Final Results
March 29, 2003Iowa defeats MSU, 5-2MSU Indoor Tennis Facility, East Lansing, Mich.
Singles1. Caroline Lay (MSU) def. Cassie Haas (UI) 7-5, 1-0 ret.2. Steffi Hoch (UI) def. Keri Thompson (MSU) 6-4, 6-23. Gloria Okino (UI) def. Karen Gustafson (MSU) 6-1, 6-34. Kate Thomas (MSU) def. Chelsea Glynn (UI) 6-4, 0-6, 10-75. Denitza Alexandrova (UI) def. Josie Schmude (MSU) 6-1, 6-16. Jennifer Hodgman (UI) def. Marta Walasek (MSU) 6-0, 6-0Doubles1. Lay/Thompson (MSU) def. Hoch/Okino (UI) 8-42. Haas/Alexandrova (UI) def. Gustafson/Thomas (MSU) 8-33. Hodgman/Glynn (UI) def. Schmude/Walasek (MSU) 8-5
