Marshall University women’s tennis (6-0) defeated West Virginia University (3-1) 7-0 Friday night and Miami (OH) (3-2) 6-1 Sunday. The Herd swept doubles action in both games, but suffered a mild scare in the first doubles against WVU.
The first doubles team of Michaela Kissell and Dominika Zaprazna defeated WVU’s doubles team of Monique Burton and Stephanie LaFortune 7-9. At one point down 7-5, behind in the set and facing elimination, the pair rallied with four straight wins to capture the win.
“Some things went our way, but we just looked at each other and pulled it together,” Kissell said. “It removed a lot of stress off our shoulders once we saw the other two doubles had won their games, and the doubles points did not come down to our match.”
Sunday, Kissell and Zapranza had little trouble with Miami’s first doubles team of Stephanie Danesis and Megan Martzolf, routing them 8-1.
Second and third doubles did not have as much trouble as the first, as Kara Kucin and Isabell Raich defeated Emily Mathis and Veronica Cardenas 8-4, and Deanna Bailey and Thaddea Lock defeated Liv Petterson and Ashley Pilsbury 8-6.
Lock and Bailey as well as Kucin and Raich both defeated their opponents 8-6.
In singles, Kissell defeated LaFortune 6-1, 6-2 and defeated Danesis 6-1, 6-2. Raich also won both of her singles games, defeating Burton in a hard fought match 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 and defeated Anastasia Dracheva 6-1, 6-7, 10-6.
Catherine Keller and Deanna Bailey disposed of each of their singles opponents in straight sets, earning a total of four points for the Herd over the course of the two games.
Kristina Koprcina needed three sets to dispose of her singles opponents, dispatching Kathryn Haught of WVU 0-6, 6-3, 13-11, and Cara Wald of Miami 6-3, 3-6, 13-11.
Zapranza split her weekend singles matches, defeating Cardenas 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 but falling to Martzolf in straight sets.
“I think we played well today against a good Miami team,” head coach John Mercer said. “We knew we were going to be in for a tough match, and I was glad to see our team rise to the competition.”
Marshall has won all six of their games this season by a combined score of 40-2. Marshall faces Kentucky at 1 p.m. Wendesday in Lexington, Ky.
Patrick Miller can be reached at miller490@marshall.edu
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