Michigan State University
Miami (Oh)
Women's Tennis Downs Miami (Ohio) 5-2 To Remain Undefeated At Home
2/12/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Feb. 12, 2005
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State women's tennis team (4-2) remains unbeaten at home as it defeated Miami (Ohio) by a 5-2 score today at the MSU Indoor Tennis Facility.
The RedHawks (3-2) arrived in East Lansing carrying a three-match winning streak, only to have it broken by the Spartans in East Lansing.
Spartan doubles started off strong to capture the first match point of the day. Senior Keri Thompson (Clark Lake, Mich.) and freshman Christine Bader (Okemos, Mich.) saw success at No. 1 as they defeated MU's Linda Jirouskova and Katrina Lomidze, 8-3. Sophomore Pascale Schnitzer (Santiago, Chile) and senior Karen Gustafson (East Lansing, Mich.) secured the doubles point for MSU as they defeated Kylee and Nancy Wiegand in a tough 9-7 battle at No. 3. Miami, which swept the Spartans last year in doubles, had only one victory this match as Remy Swain and Leda Pesatova defeated sophomore Sarah Andrews (Darwin, Australia) and junior Shelley Brady (Grand Blanc, Mich.) at No. 2, 8-4.
The RedHawks challenged the Spartans at singles today by capturing two wins at the No. 4 and 5 spots. However, State still picked up the remaining four points to secure a Spartan victory.
Bader, who fell to her No. 2 singles opponent Linda Jirouskova in the "A" flight quarterfinals this fall at the Yonex Spartan Cup, avenged her loss by defeating Jirouskova, 6-1, 6-2. At No. 1 singles Thompson defeated Lomidize, 6-2, 6-4. In perhaps the closest match of the day, Andrews defeated Swain at No. 6 singles, 7-6, 6-2. Schnitzer also saw success at No. 3 singles as she overcame Kelly Douple, 6-1, 6-1.
"I put a lot of spin on the ball because I saw that was her weakness," said Schnitzer. "I was able to capitalize on that to help defeat her. I'm pleased with the way I played today but I still want to improve on my fitness and approach to the matches."
Today's 5-2 victory against Miami marks the fourth-straight victory for the Spartans at home.
"The records don't really put the pressure on us," said team captain Shelley Brady. "We know the record is there, but we want to focus on playing good and working hard. If we do that the records will follow."
Series Notes:
• Today's match was the 27th meeting between these two teams• Michigan State has now had four-straight victories over the RedHawks.• Last year, State defeated the RedHawks, 5-2, on the road in Hamilton, Ohio.Head Coach Tim Bauer's Comments: On today's match: "I expected us to be 4-0 at home at this point in the season. We've had some great things happen in matches and winning three matches 7-0 was a nice accomplishment."
On being 4-0 at home: "It makes the matches a bit more exciting for the crowd. Our team knows what they can do. Where there is pressure there is opportunity. We have a great opportunity to go 5-0 tomorrow."
On Miami: "We knew the team really well and that factors into the preparation. We played them in the past and met this past fall at the Yonex Spartan Cup. Christine Bader lost to her opponent in the fall and won handily today. We use that past information to our advantage. It's nice when you can compare yourself against these teams and your performances against them in the past. Even last week against Eastern Michigan we defeated them 7-0, where as last year we lost to them 4-3. It's great to see the results of our hard work and dedication. Wins like that inspire our team and it verifies that we're getting better. The more our team sees that success, the more it encourages them to keep working hard. Good things happen when you're working hard."
Tomorrow, Feb. 13, Michigan State takes on Ball State in search of its fifth-straight home victory. The match will begin at 10 a.m. and will be held at the MSU Indoor Tennis Facility. Admission is free.
Michigan State 5, Miami of Ohio 2Singles competition:1. Keri Thompson (MSU) def. Katrina Lomidze (MIAMIOHI) 6-2, 6-42. Christine Bader (MSU) def. Linda Jirouskova (MIAMIOHI) 6-1, 6-23. Pascale Schnitzer (MSU) def. Kelly Douple (MIAMIOHI) 6-1, 6-14. Victoria Pulido (MIAMIOHI) def. Shelley Brady (MSU) 6-2, 6-35. Leda Pesatova (MIAMIOHI) def. Jessica Baron (MSU) 6-1, 6-26. Sarah Andrews (MSU) def. Remy Swain (MIAMIOHI) 7-6, 6-2
Doubles competition:1. Keri Thompson/Christine Bader (MSU) def. Linda Jirouskova/Katrina Lomidze (MIAMIOHI) 8-32. Remy Swain/Leda Pesatova (MIAMIOHI) def. Sarah Andrews/Shelley Brady (MSU) 8-43. Karen Gustafson/Pascale Schnitzer (MSU) def. Nancy Wiegand/Kylee Wiegand (MIAMIOHI) 9-7
Players Mentioned
