Blue Hens Drop Two at UMBC Sunday Afternoon in First Outdoor Match of Season
March 10, 2013
File Photo Courtesy of Ed Davis
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BALTIMORE, Md. – The University of Delaware women’s tennis team picked up its first loss of the season in a heartbreaking 4-3 defeat at UMBC while the men lost their second straight match with a 5-2 loss to the Retrievers Sunday at the UMBC Outdoor Tennis Complex.
The Blue Hen (4-1) women fell early, losing the doubles point to start the day. Delaware then dropped the first two singles matches to give UMBC (4-7) a 3-0 advantage.
Freshman Danea Jonjic’ defeated Isabel Aldunate in the top flight, 7-5, 6-3, for UD’s first win of the day and her 11th of the season. Sophomore Kim Milla followed with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Madlena Kurasz in the No. 6 spot for her team-best seventh straight victory this season while junior Olivia Heim (at top right) tied the match at 3-3 with a 6-4, 6-4 win against Shannon Cleary in the No. 5 slot. With the wins, Milla improved to 9-3 on the year while Heim moved to 7-3 overall.
Unfortunately it was too little, too late as the Hens fell in the first two singles matches of the day and were unable to take the sixth match to take the 4-3 team loss.
“Losing the doubles point makes it tough to win a match, but the ladies battled back,” commented Delaware head coach Laura Travis. “The team is growing and if we can continue with executing our vision, we will improve.”
Delaware was off to its best start since the 2010 season, when the Hens opened with four straight victories and won seven of their first eight matches. The UD women were recently ranked 62nd in the nation, the highest in program history, by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association _lg.jpg)
with a score of 6.95.
On the men’s side, junior Nolan Gelman (at left) registered the team’s lone singles victory of the day in a 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 come from behind win over Alexander Drean in the No. 3 flight.
In doubles action, juniors Troy Beneck and Adam Lawton teamed up for their 19th doubles win of the season with a 9-7 victory over Justin Carter and Gaulthier Berret. The duo improved to 19-2 (.905) in the No. 1 spot this year.
Additionally, Gelman paired up with sophomore Evan Andrews for an 8-5 win over Melker Svard and Eliott Loubatie to improve to 5-2 in No. 2 doubles play this season.
“Onceagain, our top doubles teams had great wins,” Travis remarked. “In singles play, UMBC is strong and deep. Nolan played extremely well to win his singles match.”
With the loss, Delaware falls to 2-4 on the year while UMBC improved to 5-5 on the season.
The UD men next play Saturday as they open Colonial Athletic Association play with a 1:30 p.m. match against James Madison at the Delaware Field House Outdoor Tennis Courts.
The Blue Hen women return to action as they host Villanova in non-conference play at the Delaware Field House Outdoor Tennis Courts Sunday at 1 p.m.
Agate
WOMEN’S FINAL SCORE – UMBC 4, Delaware 3
SINGLES
Danea Jonjic’ (D) def. Isabel Aldunate (U) 7-5, 6-3
Julia Sauer (U) def. Dorothy Safron (D) 6-4, 6-4
Heidi Danielsson (U) def. Carmen Lai (D) 6-3, 7-6
Josefin Stange-Jonsson (U) def. Nataliya Naumova (D) 4-6, 6-1, 7-6
Olivia Heim (D) def. Shannon Cleary (U) 6-4, 6-4
Kim Milla (D) def. Madlena Kurasz (U) 6-2, 6-3
DOUBLES
Stange-Jonsson/Sauer (U) def. Safron/Lai (D) 8-5
Naumova/Milla (D) v. Danielsson/Cleary - DNF
Aldunate/Kurasz (U) def. Heim/Harrington (D) 8-6
MEN’S FINAL SCORE – UMBC 5 vs. Delaware 2
SINGLES
Justin Carter (U) def. Troy Beneck (D) 6-3, 6-0
Melker Svard (U) def. Adam Lawton (D) 6-2, 1-6, 6-1
Nolan Gelman (D) def. Alexander Drean (U) 4-6, 6-2, 7-6
Gaulthier Berret (U) def. Mike Furr (D) 7-5, 6-4
Kamal Patel (U) def. Evan Andrews (D) 7-5, 6-1
Daniel Gray (D) def. Jason Derene (D) 6-4, 6-36
DOUBLES
Beneck/Lawton (D) def. Carter/Berret (U) 9-7
Gelman/Andrews (D) def. Svard/Eliott Loubatie (U) 8-5
Gray/Drean(U) def. Furr/Derene (D) 8-0
