March 7, 2010
Contact: Greg Murphy
ROCKY RIVER, Ohio - The Cleveland State women's tennis team won its Horizon League opener, 6-1, against Youngstown State on Sunday afternoon at River Oaks Racquet Club.
The Vikings moved back to .500 overall at 7-7 (1-0 HL), while the Penguins fell to 1-7 this spring.
"It is always good to start the league season with a victory and get off on the right foot," head coach Brian Etzkin said. "We highlighted this match on our schedule a few weeks back as one that we had to have if we wanted to contend in the league and I thought we did a great job of coming out focused and playing our style of tennis.
"We have been working hard on doubles tactics and want to execute as best we can because that point is so crucial. We were able to execute today and we got results, especially in the close points and matches."
CSU went out and won all three doubles contests, including an 8-2 win at No. 3 by Sanda Bjelan and Mengdi Liu. Catrine Bjerrehus and Charlotte Gibbons teamed for an 8-4 win at No. 1 doubles, while Maria Lazaris and Nicole Janek battled for an 8-7 (6) win at the No. 2 slot.
"We have the capability of being a very good doubles team," Etzkin said. "Sanda and Mengdi are starting to get comfortable at No. 3 and our freshmen team of Nicole and Maria have shown some good things together on the court."
The Vikings won five of the six singles matches to clinch the win, including straight set wins by Bjerrehus (No. 1; 6-1, 6-2), Gibbons (No. 5; 6-1, 6-2) and Liu (No. 6; 6-2, 6-2).
Lazaris (No. 2) and Janek (No. 3) won their matches in three sets.
CSU is now out of action until the Vikings head to the Midwest for three matches over Spring Break. CSU will play St. Louis on March 14 in Lawrence, Kan., before playing at Kansas on March 15. The trip concludes with a match at Iowa State on March 17.
"We have some good teams ahead of us and are going to push hard on this trip to put ourselves in good position for the league schedule," Etzkin said.
Singles competition
1. Bjerrehus, Catrine (CSU) def. SADOVNIKOVA, M. (YSU) 6-1, 6-2
2. Lazaris, Maria (CSU) def. HANKLE, Lauren (YSU) 6-1, 3-6, 6-2
3. Janek, Nicole (CSU) def. VOLKOVA, Anna (YSU) 6-2, 2-6, 6-1
4. WELCH, Tanisha (YSU) def. Bjelan, Sanda (CSU) 7-5, 6-1
5. Gibbons, Charlotte (CSU) def. HARALAMBOPOULOUS, N. (YSU) 6-1, 6-2
6. Liu, Mengdi (CSU) def. PATTEN, Hannah (YSU) 6-2, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. BJERREHUS, Catrine/GIBBONS, Charlotte (CSU) def. HARALAMBOPOULOUS, N./SADOVNIKOVA, M. (YSU) 8-4
2. JANEK, Nicole/LAZARIS, Maria (CSU) def. VOLKOVA, Anna/WELCH, Tanisha (YSU) 8-7
3. BJELAN, Sanda/LIU, Mengdi (CSU) def. PATTEN, Hannah/HANKLE, Lauren (YSU) 8-2
