Hurricanes Quell Waves, 6-1, in Non-Conference Action
March 5, 2006
CORAL GABLES, <?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Fla.– The 10th ranked University of Miami women’s tennis team picked up its fifth consecutive victory by defeating No. 21 Pepperdine, 6-1, in non-conference action Sunday afternoon at the NeilSchiffTennisCenter. <?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
Miami (8-3, 1-0 ACC) opened the match by winning the doubles point for the seventh consecutive time this season. UM’s No. 21 doubles tandem of senior Melissa Applebaum and sophomore Audra Cohen topped Pepperdine’s 42nd ranked pair of Sylvia Kosakowski and Merve Asimgil, 8-3. In court No. 3, sophomore Caren Seenauth and Patricia Starzyk climbed out of a 2-5 hole to claim an 8-6 victory over the Waves’ Lise Sissler/Natalie Braverman duo to clinch the doubles point and give Miami a 1-0 advantage heading into singles play.
Junior Audrey Banada got things started in singles with a 6-2, 6-2 straight set victory over Asimgil at the No. 5 position.
Pepperdine (9-2), however, got on the board when Braverman topped No. 84 Applebaum 6-3, 6-4 at the No. 3 slot.
But the Hurricanes took a 3-1 match lead when Cohen, ranked 13th in the nation, defeated No. 26 Bianca Dulgheru, 6-2, 6-2 at the No. 1 position.
The match came down to courts No. 2, 4 and 6 which were all entering the third set. Freshman Monika Dancevic clinched the match win for the Hurricanes at the No. 2 slot with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 victory over Kosakowski. Seenauth, playing No. 6 singles, followed suit with a win over Sissler 6-2, 5-6, 6-0.
Starzyk closed the match with a win over Eva Dickes at the No. 4 position. Down 6-3 in the first set, she went on to win the second and third set, 6-4, 6-1, for the victory.
The Hurricanes return to action when they travel the northeast for a two-match ACC road swing that takes them to Maryland and BostonCollege. Miami will face Maryland Friday, March 10 at 3:00 p.m. before heading to BostonCollege the following day for a 5:00 p.m. match-up.
