Jan. 22, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA.; - The Penn State women's tennis team will take its first road trip of the spring season to Boise, Idaho this weekend to play two dual matches at the Boas Tennis Center at Boise State. The first of the two matches will be held Saturday at noon against the Bobcats of Montana State, followed by a match against 45th-ranked Boise State on Sunday at noon.
The Nittany Lions (1-0) opened their spring season at home with a 6-1 victory over Bucknell on Jan. 17. Freshman Monika Mical (Stalowa Wola, Poland) and junior Sarah Lotto (Toronto, Ontario) swept Tania Varela and Lauren Lucido for a convincing 8-0 doubles victory. Junior Lauren McCarthy (Danbury, Conn.) and sophomore Denisa Zobeideh (Weston, Fla.) held off Paulina Gamboa and Carlin Calcaterra in their 8-6 win. Freshman Maria Prishlyak (Kiev, Ukraine) and senior Dorothy Dohanics (Pittsburgh, Pa.) topped Dara Dwojewski and Ashley Globerman, 8-3.
In singles play, Mical earned a 6-0, 6-1 singles victory over Gamboa playing in the No. 1 spot. Prishlyak topped Lauren Lucido (7-5, 6-0), while Dohanics topped Globerman in straight sets, 6-0, 6-2. In a hard fought battle, McCarthy defeated Dwojewski, 6-0, 4-6, 6-4. Senior Leyla Morzan (Vancouver, British Columbia) beat Dumitrita Iepuras, 6-2, 6-2. Freshman Kristen Roth (Ardmore, Pa.) closed out the day with an 8-2 win over Calcaterra.
This is the spring opener for the host Broncos (0-0) who enter the weekend ranked No. 45. Boise State compiled a 20-7 record in 2008, ending the season with a loss to Kentucky in the NCAA First Round. Junior Pichittra Thongdach is currently ranked No. 104 in national singles. Thongdach and her partner, freshman Vivian Silfany, hold the No. 54 spot in the nation's doubles rankings.
Montana State (0-0) is lead by head coach Denise Albrecht. The 2007 Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year is in her ninth season with the team. In 2008, the Bobcats went 12-6 overall and 6-2 in the Big Sky Conference. Sophomore Stephanie Jasper led the team last year, compiling a 17-3 record at No. 1 singles during her freshman year. Jasper and junior Laura Villegas earned first-team All-Big Sky accolades season. This weekend's matches are also the first of the year for the Bobcats.
Following this weekend's trip, the Nittany Lions will be on the road next weekend for two matches in Huntingtown, W.Va. The team will face South Alabama Saturday, Feb. 7 at 2 p.m., followed by a matchup with Marshall Sunday, Feb. 8 at 11 a.m.