The University of Akron Athletics
Tennis Gives Up 4-3 Decision To Western Michigan
April 11 | Women's Tennis
AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron
tennis team lost at home for the first time this season, falling to
70th-ranked Western Michigan 4-3 in Mid-American Conference play on
Saturday indoors at LaTuchie Tennis Center.
Playing in front of its hometown fans for the final time this
season, Akron (15-6, 4-3 MAC) finished with a 7-1 record on its
home court and provided the crowd with a competitive finale. Having
never defeated a ranked opponent, the Zips notched their closest
ever margin versus a ranked foe in school history.
The Zips won the doubles point, with 8-4 wins at Nos. 1 and 3, and
rallied at No. 2 before falling short 8-5. Zara
Harutyunyan and Anna Baronayte were responsible for the
victory at No. 1, while Jeremie Benjamin and Lindsey
Berry were the winners at No. 3. At the No. 2 spot, Tanyaradzwa
Gombera and Carolina Castro Cota battled back from a 7-2
deficit before giving up the 8-5 decision to Kerstin Pahl and
Amanda Moccia, who are the 66th-ranked doubles team in the nation.
Akron has claimed the doubles point in 11 of the last 12 matches
and kept Western Michigan (18-6, 5-1 MAC) from winning the pairs
competition against a league opponent for the first time since the
2005 league championship match.
In singles play, UA gave up straight-set margins at the Nos. 3-6
flights. At No. 2, Baronayte claimed a 6-1, 6-3 win over Emily
Dudzik and at No. 1 Harutyunyan came back from a first set loss for
the second-straight day to earn a 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Pahl. In
Friday's 6-1 UA defeat over Bowling Green, Harutyunyan won 5-7,
6-1, 6-2 at No. 1.
"This was a good effort against one of the perennial best teams in
the conference," third-year Akron head coach Jeffrey
Wyshner said. "Sometimes you have to get close before you can
defeat a team like this."
WMU has won 39 of its last 40 regular-season matches against league
competition (dating to 2004), including four undefeated MAC
championships.
Akron closes out the regular season on April 18 at Buffalo at 1
p.m. EDT. The MAC Championship will be held April 23-26 on the
campus of Bowling Green. The Zips have already secured themselves a
bye in the opening round.
RESULTS
No. 70 Western Michigan 4, Akron 3
Doubles
1. Harutyunyan/Baronayte (UA) def. Dudzik/Matsuto (WMU) 8-4
2. (66) Pahl/Amanda Moccia (WMU) def. Gombera/Castro Cota (UA)
8-5
3. Berry/Benjamin (UA) def. Ashley Moccia/Nivia (WMU) 8-4
Singles
1. Zara Harutyunyan (UA) def. Kerstin Pahl (WMU)
2-6, 6-4, 6-3
2. Anna Baronayte (UA) def. Emily Dudzik (WMU) 6-1,
6-3
3. Maria Nivia (WMU) def. Tanyaradzwa Gombera (UA) 6-3, 6-2
4. Ashley Moccia (WMU) def. Jeremie
Benjamin (UA) 6-2, 6-3
5. Yumi Matsuto (WMU) def. Kerry
Langworthy (UA) 6-2, 6-1
6. Amanda Moccia (WMU) def. Carolina
Castro Cota (UA) 6-0, 6-3
Order Of Finish:
Doubles – 3, 1, 2
Singles – 2, 6, 4, 5, 3, 1
Players Mentioned
