University of Missouri
Syracuse
MU Squeezes Orange, 6-1
2/3/2008 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
Feb. 3, 2008
Columbia, Mo. - The University of Missouri women's tennis team (3-1, 0-0 Big 12) defeated the Syracuse Orange (2-2, 2-0 BIG EAST) 6-1, Sunday afternoon inside the Green Tennis Center in Columbia. With the win, Mizzou improves to 3-1 on the season after three straight home victories.
"This Syracuse team beat us at there place last year, 5-2, and I think we have been saying for a while that we know we're a vastly stronger team then we were this time a year ago," Tiger Head Coach Blake Starkey said. "This group of Tigers, they fight really hard, and our crowd really gets into it, they appreciate seeing it. I think the thing today that was excellent was our energy as a team. Everyone in the building felt it and that is something we haven't seen in a while, and its just great to see."
Mizzou's success started in doubles action, with the Tigers taking all three matches. At No. 1, MU's 43rd-ranked duo of Chrissy Svetlic and Mallory Weber defeated Syracuse's Christina Tan and Simone Kalhorn, 8-3. The pair improved to 3-1 on the season behind great serves and strong net play. Svetlic earned her 36th career doubles victory as a Tiger, tying her with Yelena Olshanskaya for 15th all-time on Mizzou's record book.
At No. 2, Kaitlin Dunham and Sofia Ayala downed Syracuse's Maria Vasilyeva and Chelsea Jones, 8-1, in an energy-filled match. At No. 3 Kaitlyn Ritchie and Maureen Modesto ran into some trouble, but outlasted Ashley Spicer and Jacquelynn Tang, 8-6, to complete the sweep for the Tigers.
Tiger freshman Mallory Weber earned her third victory of the season in the No. 1 singles position. Weber used a wide variety of shots, from strong serves to slice returns to control the match. She excelled in her service games, winning all seven of them, en route to a 6-0, 6-2 win over Tan. The match was the first singles contest to finish, lasting only about 40 minutes.
The win kept the momentum going, and helped the Tigers beat the Orange, who came into the match with a 2-1 record after winning two BIG EAST matches and falling to Kansas State.
"Going into the match, we definitely knew that they were a talented team," Weber said. "So for me to be able to go out there and win was obviously a good thing. (Tan) is definitely talented, and I went out and took care of my match. I thought I played really well, so it does give me confidence going into some of our matches that are coming up."
At No. 2, Dunham took her momentum from a solid doubles match into her singles contest. She had little problems in her, 6-2, 6-0, victory over Kalhorn. The match finished just after Weber's, and gave the Tigers a 3-0 match lead.
Jessica Giuggioli's 6-2, 6-1 victory over Maria Vasilyeva at No. 3 singles clinched the match for the Tigers. Giuggioli is now 3-1 on the spring, with wins in the No. 2, 3 and 4 spots.
Svetlic and Ritchie earned straight-set victories at No. 5 and No. 6, respectively, while Maureen Modesto fell in the No. 4 singles match.
The Tigers will have a week to prepare for their next two matches, Saturday, Feb. 9, when they host Xavier and Chicago State in one of two scheduled doubleheaders this season at the Green Tennis Center.
Results
Missouri 6 Syracuse 1
Sunday, Feb. 3, 2008
Green Tennis Center, Indoor Courts
Columbia, Mo.
Singles
No. 1 Mallory Weber (MU) def. Christina Tan (SU), 6-0, 6-2
No. 2 Kaitlin Dunham (MU) def. Simone Kalhorn (SU) 6-2, 6-0
No. 3 Jessica Giuggioli (MU) def. Maria Vasilyeva (SU) 6-2, 6-1
No. 4 Ashley Spicer (SU) def. Maureen Modesto (MU) 6-2, 7-6 (5)
No. 5 Chrissy Svetlic (MU) def. Jacquelynn Tang (SU) 6-2, 6-3
No. 6 Kaitlyn Ritchie (MU) def. Chelsea Jones (SU) 6-4, 6-1
Order of finish: 1, 2, 3*, 4, 5, 6
*Clinched match
5 and 6 started after 1 and 2 finished
Doubles
No. 1 Svetlic/Weber (MU) def. Tan/Kalhorn (SU), 8-3
No. 2 Dunham/Ayala (MU) def. Vasilyeva/Jones (SU), 8-1
No. 3 Ritchie/Modesto (MU) def. Spicer/Tang (SU), 8-6
Order of finish: 2, 1, 3
Players Mentioned
