UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State women’s tennis fell to Michigan at the Indoor Tennis Center on Sunday. The Nittany Lions (10-2, 1-2 Big Ten) dropped a 4-0 result to the Wolverines (4-5, 1-1 Big Ten).
Brianna Baldi and Maria Daciana Ciubotaru picked up their first ranked win together in the match. The sophomore pairing took down No. 68 Piper Charney and Emily Sartz-Lunde, 6-3, on court three. It completed a 2-0 weekend for the tandem as they also won against Michigan State.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Michigan took a hard-fought doubles point that came down to all three courts. Court two was the first to finish as Patricia Grigoras and Maiko Uchijima dropped a 6-3 decision to Reese Miller and Laura Rahnel.
The Nittany Lions would respond as the tandem of Baldi and Ciubotaru secured their first ranked win as a pairing in the Blue & White. The sophomores jumped to an early lead and never looked back as they defeated No. 68 Charney and Sartz-Lunde, 6-3, on court three.
The Wolverines clinched the doubles point in a very competitive match on the top court. No. 75 Olivia Dorner and Maelie Monfils fell to No. 36 Jessica Bernales and Lily Jones, 6-4.
The ranked singles players for Michigan picked up wins to close the match. Monfils competed tough but fell to No. 14 Charney, 6-4, 6-3, on court one. At the two spot, Uchijima dropped a 6-3, 6-2 result to No. 15 Jones. No. 123 Miller clinched the match for the Wolverines as Grigoras fell, 7-5, 6-4, on court three.
Baldi was in a tight match on court four against Sartz-Lunde. Sartz-Lunde took the first set 7-6 with the match going unfished in the second set with a 3-3 tie.
RESULTS
Michigan 4, Penn State 0 – Indoor Tennis Center – University Park, Pa.
Doubles
1. No. 36 Jessica Bernales/Lily Jones (U-M) def. No. 75 Olivia Dorner/Maelie Monfils (PSU): 6-4
2. Reese Miller/Laura Rahnel (U-M) def. Patricia Grigoras/Maiko Uchijima (PSU): 6-3
3. Brianna Baldi/Maria Daciana Ciubotaru (PSU) def. No. 68 Piper Charney/Emily Sartz-Lunde (U-M): 6-3
Singles
1. No. 14 Piper Charney (U-M) def. Maelie Monfils (PSU): 6-4, 6-3
2. No. 15 Lily Jones (U-M) def. Maiko Uchijima (PSU): 6-3, 6-2
3. No. 123 Reese Miller (U-M) def. Patricia Grigoras (PSU): 7-5, 6-4
4. Brianna Baldi (PSU) vs. Emily Sartz-Lunde (U-M): 6-7, 3-3 (unfinished)
5. Olivia Dorner (PSU) vs. Jessica Bernales (U-M): 1-1 (unfinished)
6. Maria Daciana Ciubotaru (PSU) vs. Bayley Sheinin (U-M): did not start
UP NEXT
Penn State goes on its first Big Ten west coast trip next weekend. The Nittany Lions will head to Los Angeles for battles against No. 17 USC on Saturday, March 14 and No. 6 UCLA on Sunday, March 15.
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