Xavier University Athletics
Xavier University
Youngstown State
Women's Tennis Earns Weekend Split
02.08.09 | Women's Tennis
Feb. 8, 2009
CINCINNATI - Strong singles play allowed the Xavier University women's tennis team to defeat Youngstown State 4-3 on Sunday, helping the Musketeers split the weekend after falling to Bowling Green 6-1 on Saturday. Senior Kara Courtney was the only XU player to record singles victories in both dual meets.
Despite losing the doubles point to Youngstown State after dropping two of the three matches, XU was able to mount a comeback to defeat the Penguins. Courtney and fellow senior Jeannette Feider teamed up for the Musketeers' lone doubles victory, defeating YSU's Anna Volkova and Nicole Haralambopoulos in their Flight 1 match.
Courtney got the Musketeers on the board with her second victory in as many days in the top flight of singles action. Her 6-3, 6-1 victory over the Penguins' Sarah Lynch pulled Xavier even with YSU and improved her 2009 singles record to 4-2.
Feider then gave XU its first lead with a straight set victory over Tanisha Welsch in the Flight 4 match. It was her first singles win of 2009 after starting the year 0-5 at the Flight 2 and 3 levels combined.
The Penguins regained control of the meet, winning the next two singles matches to take a 3-2 lead and move one victory away from securing the team win. Junior Kaitlyn Zinn kept the Musketeers alive, winning her Flight 5 match over Haralambopoulos in straight sets, both finishing with scores of 6-2. She improved to 5-1 in singles play during the 2009 dual meet season.
Junior Jill Ducro took completed the comeback, winning a tiebreaker in the second set over YSU's Gretchen Cloern to earn a straight set victory and give Xavier the team win, improving the Musketeers to 4-2 in dual meet action this season. It was Ducro's third straight singles victory after losing her first solo event of the dual meet season.
Courtney earned the Musketeers' lone point against Bowling Green, defeating the Falcons' Kelsey Jakupcin in their Flight 1 singles match. After splitting the first two sets, Courtney prevailed by the score of 10-6 in the decisive third set super tiebreaker.
Sophomore Kelsey Kinnard and junior Tifanie Treece kept XU from getting swept in doubles action, winning their Flight 2 match over Katia Babina and Samantha Kintzel, 8-5.
Xavier will conclude its streak of five straight dual meets in the state of Ohio with showdowns against Miami (Ohio) and Rutgers next weekend. The Musketeers will travel to Hamilton to square off with Maimi on Saturday at 1 p.m. and then welcome Rutgers to Cincinnati for a 9:30 a.m. match on Sunday.
Players Mentioned
