Blue Hens Tennis Opens 2011 Slate With Third-Straight Sweep of Villanova 7-0
February 12, 2010
File Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell
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ELKTON, Md. -- For the third time in as many meetings, the University of Delaware women’s tennis team swept the Wildcats of Villanova as the Hens kicked off the 2011 portion of the schedule with a 7-0 win at Elkton (Md.) Indoor Courts Saturday evening.
Delaware, which improves to 2-0 in 2010-11 after a 7-0 sweep of St. Joseph’s in the fall finale, has not dropped a point to Villanova (0-1) in three straight meetings. All-time, Delaware has also won five of the last six meetings over Villanova.
In singles action, Samantha Carnall improved to 64-14 in her career with a 6-0, 6-0 sweep against Amanda Nelson. Carnall improved her season record to 17-4 and 2-0 in the third flight.
Senior Ivana Petrich continued her climb to the top of the UD record books, picking up her 67th career win with a 6-1, 6-0 fourth-flight win over Emily Urda. Petrich is now tied for fourth-place all-time for career wins with Susan Pollack, who finished her Blue Hen career with a 67-28 mark. Petrich is 67-18.
Fellow senior Megan Doran got her sixth first-flight win of the season in the closest match of the evening. Doran edged out Mikelle Mancini to get a 6-3, 6-4 result, bumped her season record to 52-21.
Freshman Dorothy Safron continued her solid rookie campaign with a 6-1, 6-2 win in the second flight over Allison Solberg. Safron, who is now 13-4 overall, remains undefeated in the second flight improving to 4-0.
Another rookie remain undefeated in her flight as Olivia Heim picked up her sixth win in the fifth flight, knocking out Anne Cognetti with a 6-1, 6-1 victory. Heim is currently 16-3 as a freshman and 6-0 in the fifth flight.
Senior Montse Ripoll (at right) bumped her season record to 15-4 with a 6-1, 6-0 victory against Kristin Gobberg in the sixth flight. Ripoll, who is in her second year with Delaware after transferring from Palm Beach Atlantic, is now 38-14 in the Blue and Gold.
Doubles action proved to be some of the most exciting portions of the match up.
After Villanova’s Urda/Solberg pairing edged out Petrich and Ripoll 8-6 to get one of two doubles wins for the point, the Blue Hens answered with Safron and her partner Sophie Sjoberg-Sundstrom. The Delaware pair swept through Wesleigh Donadio and Sarah Kelly 8-0, improving the Hens’ pairing to 7-2 this season.
Doran and Carnall, who are now just two wins shy of the University’s all-time doubles victory record, locked into a tight battle with Mancini and Gobberg. The Blue Hens squeaked out a 9-7 victory to improve to 13-3 this season and 32-6 as a partnership. Doran and Carnall need just two more victories to tie the mark set by Pollack and Amanda Campbell from 2005-07.
“We came out tentative in the doubles,” said Delaware head coach and Hall of Fame member Laura Travis. “But knowing what kind of players we have, I had confidence in the way we can play our singles. I’m really happy that No. 1 doubles pulled out the win.”
Delaware will be on the road for its next match as the Hens head back to Bethlehem, Pa. to face the Mountain Hawks of Lehigh University, after competing in a fall tournament in mid-October. The match is slated for 3 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 17 at the Lewis Tennis Center.
Agate: Delaware 7, Villanova 0
Singles:
1) Doran def. Mancini 6-3, 6-4
2)
Safron (UD) def. Solberg (VU) 6-1, 6-2
3)
Carnall (UD) def. Nelson (VU) 6-0, 6-0
4)
Petrich (UD) def. Urda (VU) 6-1, 6-0
5)
Heim (UD) def. Cognetti (VU) 6-1, 6-1
6)
Ripoll (UD) def. Gobberg (VU) 6-1, 6-0
Doubles
1) Doran/Carnall (UD) def. Mancini/Gobberg (VU) 9-7
2) Urda/Solberg (VU) def. Petrich/Ripoll (UD) 8-6
3) Safron/Sjoberg-Sundstrom (UD) def. Donadio/Kelly (VU) 8-0
