No. 10 Baylor Upends Women's Tennis, 4-1
Feb. 17, 2008
CORAL GABLES, <?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Fla. – The seventh-ranked University of Miami women’s tennis team suffered just it second loss of the season, both against Top-10 opposition, as No. 10 Baylor came away with a 4-1 win over the Hurricanes Sunday afternoon at the NeilSchiffTennisCenter.<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
Baylor (5-1) got out to an early 2-0 lead after winning the doubles point and the first singles point when No. 18 Lenka Broosova downed Romy Farah, 6-1, 6-1 in the No. 2 spot. No. 29 Laura Vallverdu would then put the `Canes on the board with an impressive 6-3, 6-2 win over No. 15 Zuzana Zemenova in the No. 1 position.
“I am happy with the way Lau came out and played this afternoon,” head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said. “It is impressive to see how far she has come and just how much she improving every time she steps on the court.”
From there, Baylor would come away with wins in both the No. 5 position and No. 6 spot to clinch the match. Jelena Stanivuk beat Caren Seenauth in the fifth spot, 6-1, 6-3 and No. 87 Karolina Filipiak gave the Bears the win with a 7-6 (2), 6-2 win over Gina Sabatino at No. 6.
“Baylor was the better team today,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “They were stronger mentally and physically and that was eye-opening for our team.”
UM falls to 6-2 overall, with its only two blemishes coming against top-ranked Stanford last weekend and the 10th-ranked Bears Sunday.
With the Bears up 4-1 late in the match, rain ended play in the third and fourth positions as both matches were winding down. Michaela Kissell was knotted up with No. 23 Taylor Ormand, 7-5, 4-6, (9-9) and Bianca Eichkorn was in a similar fight with Jelena Stanivuk, 3-6, 6-6 (4-1) when play was stopped.
“I am proud of the way our freshmen have been competing,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “Our seniors need to start stepping up though if we want to be in a position to host a regional down the road.”
For the second time in as many days, Miami got out to slow start in doubles play, losing 8-4 in the third position and 8-2 in the No. 2 spot to give Baylor the early lead. With Vallverdu and Farah up 7-4 on Zemenova and Broosova in the top doubles spot, the match was stopped once Baylor had clinched the point.
The Hurricanes will remain at home next weekend when they play host to No. 34 Wichita State, Saturday, Feb. 23 at 12 p.m. at the NeilSchiffTennisCenter. It will mark UM’s final non-conference match of the season before the `Canes open ACC play at FloridaState, Friday, Feb. 29. The match against WichitaState will be a rematch of last year’s NCAA Regional battle that UM won, 4-0, in Coral Gables.
No. 10 Baylor 4, No. 7 Miami 1
Singles
1. No. 29 Laura Vallverdu (UM) def. No. 15 Zuzana Zemenova (Baylor), 6-3, 6-2
2. No. 18 Lenka Broosova (Baylor) def. Romy Farah (UM), 6-1, 6-1
3. Michaela Kissell (UM) vs. No. 23 Taylor Ormond (Baylor), 7-5, 4-6, (9-9) (DNF)
4. Bianca Eichkorn (UM) vs. No. 47 Jana Bielikova (Baylor), 3-6, 6-6 (4-1) (DNF)
5. Jelena Stanivuk (Baylor) def. Caren Seenauth (UM), 6-1, 6-3
6. No. 87 Karolina Filipiak (Baylor) def. Gina Sabatino (UM), 7-6 (2), 6-2
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 5, 6*
Doubles
1. Laura Vallverdu/Romy Farah (UM) led No. 4 Zuzana Zemenova/Lenka Broosova (Baylor), 7-4 (DNF)
2. Jana Bielikova/Karolina Filipiak (Baylor) def. Gina Sabatino/Michaela Kissell (UM), 8-2
3. Taylor Ormond/Jelena Stanivuk (Baylor) def. Bianca Eichkorn/Caren Seenauth (UM), 8-4
Order of Finish: 2, 3*
