April 22, 2011
Contact: Greg Murphy
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The No. 2 seeded Cleveland State women's tennis team rallied after losing the doubles point to win four straight singles matches for a 4-1 victory over third-seeded Butler in the Horizon League Championship semifinals on Friday afternoon at the West Indy Racquet Club.
The win advances the Vikings to their first-ever Horizon League Championship match where CSU will face top-seeded UIC on Saturday (April 23) at 12:30 p.m.
"We didn't have our best doubles today and could not come away with the point, but we really battled back in singles to come away with the win today," head coach Brian Etzkin said. "There were a lot of close matches out there and this match could have gone either way.
"We are extremely excited as a team to have a chance to play in the league championship tomorrow and know that we are in for a fight against UIC. They are the program that everyone in the league strives for and we have to come out focused and with a lot of intensity tomorrow."
CSU's No. 3 doubles team of Kara Sherwood and Mengdi Liu earned an 8-3 win as the first match off the court. However, Butler came through with wins at Nos. 1 and 2 doubles to earn the point, including a 9-8 win at the top doubles spot.
However, the Vikings rallied to win four straight singles matches to clinch the win and a berth in the championship match.
Maria Lazaris and Alex Power both won by identical 6-3, 6-2 scores at numbers four and five singles, respectively, to give the Vikings a 2-1 lead. Catrine Bjerrehus, who yesterday became a three-time first team All-Horizon League honoree, picked up a three-set win at No. 1 singles and Alex Power earned a 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 5 singles.
Cleveland State 4, Butler 1
Apr 22, 2011 at Indianapolis, Ind. (West Indy Racquet Club)
Singles competition
1. Bjerrehus, Catrine (CSU) def. JAIMES, Natali (BU) 6-2, 4-6, 7-6
2. BUSH, Alex (CSU) vs. HEDRICK, Caroline (BU) 4-6, 6-4, 3-3, unfinished
3. Sherwood, Kara (CSU) def. MCLOUGHLIN, Stephani (BU) 6-3, 6-4
4. Lazaris, Maria (CSU) def. BOBROWSKI, Gabriella (BU) 6-3, 6-2
5. Power, Alex (CSU) def. RUBENSTEIN, Gabriell (BU) 6-3, 6-2
6. Liu, Mengdi (CSU) vs. FARMER, Brittany (BU) 2-6, 3-2, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. MCLOUGHLIN, Stephani/RUBENSTEIN, Gabriell (BU) def. BUSH, Alex/POWER, Alex (CSU) 9-8
2. BOBROWSKI, Gabriella/FARMER, Brittany (BU) def. BJERREHUS, Catrine/LAZARIS, Maria (CSU) 8-5
3. LIU, Mengdi/SHERWOOD, Kara (CSU) def. QIN, Angelina/THOMPSON, Cam (BU) 8-3