Nov. 9, 2008

HANOVER, N.H. - Against some of the top competition in the Northeast, the UMass women's tennis team hung tough in its final tune-up of the fall season at the Big Green Invitational over the weekend. The team played a number of mini dual singles and doubles matches against Akron, Boston University, Syracuse, and Temple. The Minutewomen impressed against the Orange with a 4-1 doubles mark. UMass also hung tough against Boston University (3-4 in singles, 1-2 in doubles) and Akron (2-3 singles, 2-1 doubles). Senior Laura Danai had a standout performance, going 5-0 in the three-day event that began on Friday.

Danai finished 2-0 in singles play and 3-0 in doubles with sophomore Tanisha Hodgson. The doubles pair was pushed to the brink by Boston University's Elizabeth Corrao and Danielle Abraham, in a 9-8 (10) UMass victory. The other doubles wins came by identical 8-3 scores.

Freshman Magdalena Ploch had a strong collegiate debut, finishing 2-1 in singles and 3-0 in doubles (with sophomore Kaitlyn Carpenter). Included was a hard-fought 3-6, 7-5, 10-6 win over Boston University senior (and two-time reigning First Team All-America East member) Yana Sadovskaya.

The weekend got started against Syracuse and Akron on Friday. The top four flights against the Orange fell defeat, but Hodgson, Danai, and senior Stephanie Gimenez impressed with victories at the fifth, sixth, and seventh flights, respectively. The Minutewomen later won three of four doubles matches, highlighted by Danai and Hodgson combining for an 8-3 win at No. 3. Carpenter and Ploch won 8-6 at No. 2, as did Gimenez and senior Lauren MacKay at No. 4.

Saturday included various tilts against the four other teams. On Sunday, the Minutewomen faced Boston University and finished 3-4 in the final day against the Terriers.

There were also a number of mixed doubles teams formed, including freshman Gabriella Jannotta with Boston University's Inayat Khosla. The new pair held its own, going 1-1, with the one loss coming against UMass doubles combo Gimenez and MacKay, who won, 8-3. The match between UMass players brought back memories from the Eastern Collegiate Invitational when sophomore Candynce Boney defeated Carpenter in a consolation singles bracket.

The Minutewomen open up the fall season on Sunday Feb. 1, 2009, hosting Long Island at 1 p.m.

Player-By-Player Results
Candynce Boney
Singles (0-3)
(Friday) Lost to Tan (Syracuse), 6-4, 6-1
(Saturday) Lost to Harutyunyan (Akron), 6-1, 6-0
(Sunday) Lost to Nunic (Boston U), 6-1, 6-0

Doubles (0-3)
(Friday) With Lecluyse, lost to Tan/Harman (Syracuse), 8-6
(Friday) With Lecluyse, lost to Harutyunyan/Baronayte (Akron), 8-2
(Saturday) With Lecluyse, lost to Nunic/Lefkowith (Boston U), 8-6

Magdalena Ploch
Singles (2-1)
(Friday) Lost to Harman (Syracuse), 6-1, 6-3
(Saturday) Defeated Baronayte (Akron), 6-3, 7-5
(Sunday) Defeated Lefkowith (Boston U), 3-6, 7-5, 10-6

Doubles (3-0)
(Friday) With Carpenter, defeated Kalhorn/Jones (Syracuse), 8-6
(Friday) With Carpenter, defeated Benjamin/Berry (Akron), 8-4
(Saturday) With Carpenter, defeated Sadovskaya/Steiner (Boston U), 8-4

Kaitlyn Carpenter
Singles (0-3)
(Friday) Lost to Jones (Syracuse), 6-2, 7-6 (1)
(Saturday) Lost to Gombera (Akron), 6-1, 6-3
(Sunday) Lost to Carrao (Boston U), 6-4, 6-1

Doubles (3-0)
(Friday) With Ploch, defeated Kalhorn/Jones (Syracuse), 8-6
(Friday) With Ploch, defeated Benjamin/Berry (Akron), 8-4
(Saturday) With Ploch, defeated Sadovskaya/Steiner (Boston U), 8-4

Maude Lecluyse
Singles (0-3)
(Friday) Lost to Kalhorn (Syracuse), 6-2, 6-2
(Saturday) Lost to Benjamin (Akron), 6-4, 7-6 (4)
(Sunday) Lost to Sadovskaya (Boston U), 7-5, 6-4

Doubles (0-3)
(Friday) With Boney, lost to Tan/Harman (Syracuse), 8-6
(Friday) With Boney, lost to Harutyunyan/Baronayte (Akron), 8-2
(Saturday) With Boney, lost to Nunic/Lefkowith (Boston U), 8-6

Tanisha Hodgson
Singles (2-1)
(Friday) Defeated Haycock (Syracuse), 4-6, 6-2, 10-4
(Saturday) Lost to Frazier (Temple), 6-2, 6-3
(Sunday) Defeated Steiner (Boston U), 6-4, 7-6

Doubles (3-0)
(Friday) With Danai, Defeated Tang/Ford (Syracuse), 8-3
(Friday) With Danai, Defeated Carlson/Gombera (Akron), 8-3
(Saturday) With Danai, Defeated Corrao/Abraham (Boston U), 9-8 (10)

Laura Danai
Singles (2-0)
(Friday) Defeated Haynes (Syracuse), 6-0, 6-2
(Saturday) Defeated Carlson (Akron), 6-3, 7-5

Doubles (3-0)
(Friday) With Hodgson, Defeated Tang/Ford (Syracuse), 8-3
(Friday) With Hodgson, Defeated Carlson/Gombera (Akron), 8-3
(Saturday) With Hodgson, Defeated Corrao/Abraham (Boston U), 9-8 (10)

Stephanie Gimenez
Singles (1-2) (Friday) Defeated Ford (Syracuse), 6-4, 6-0
(Saturday) Lost To Stangl (Temple), 6-3, 6-2
(Sunday) Lost to Abraham (Boston U), 7-5, 4-6, 5-10

Doubles (2-1)
(Friday) With MacKay, Defeated Haynes/Haycock (Syracuse), 8-6
(Friday) With MacKay, Defeated Jannotta (UMass)/Khosla (Boston U), 8-3
(Saturday) With MacKay, Lost to Bergman/Frazier (Temple), 8-4

Lauren MacKay
Singles (1-2)
(Friday) Lost to Tang (Syracuse), 6-0, 1-6, 6-10
(Saturday) Lost to Bergman (Temple), 6-1, 6-0
(Sunday) Defeated Khosla (Boston U), 6-3, 6-4

Doubles (2-1)
(Friday) With Gimenez, Defeated Haynes/Haycock (Syracuse), 8-6
(Friday) With Gimenez, Defeated Jannotta (UMass)/Khosla (Boston U), 8-3
(Saturday) With Gimenez, Lost to Bergman/Frazier (Temple), 8-4

Gabriella Jannotta
Singles (1-2)
(Friday) Lost to Bergman (Temple), 6-4, 6-4
(Saturday), Lost to Tang (Syracuse), 6-0, 6-4
(Sunday) Defeated Tang (Syracuse), 6-3, 6-4

Doubles (1-1)
(Friday) With Khosla (Boston U), Lost To Gimenez/MacKay (UMass), 8-3 (Saturday) With Khosla (Boston U), Defeated Haynes/Hancock (Syracuse), 8-1