MIAMISBURG, Ohio – Despite playing with a shorthanded lineup, the Cleveland State women's tennis team was able to pick up its second straight victory Friday, earning a 5-2 win at Dayton.
PDF BOX SCORE | Cleveland State 5, Dayton 2
Quick Hits
• Kateryna Avram remained perfect this spring (8-0) following her straight-set win at No. 3 singles.
• The Vikings have now won the doubles point in six of their eight matches this spring.
• Friday's win improved Cleveland State to 6-2 on the season, marking the team's best start since the 2007-08 campaign.
The Match
The Vikings were able to pick up the early 1-0 lead after capturing the doubles point for the sixth time this season, earning wins at the top two spots. Klara Mrcela and Kateryna Avram earned a 6-2 win at No. 1 doubles, while Blanche Lenoan and Siân Payne posted a 6-4 win at the No. 2 spot.
After Dayton was able to pick up a default win at No. 6 singles to even the match at 1-1, Avram quickly gave the Vikings a 2-1 advantage with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Erica Wojcikiewicz at No. 3 singles. Avram's win marked her eighth straight singles win, and put her at 13-7 overall this year.
The Flyers were once again able to even the match with a win at No. 2 singles, but Cleveland State responded by picking up the final three points of the match to come away with the 5-2 victory.
Gaby Schoenberg put the Vikings up 3-2 with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Elizabeth Hamilton at No. 5 singles, while Payne clinched the match for the Vikings with a 6-2, 1-6, 6-2 victory over Natalie Allen at the No. 4 spot.
Cleveland State's final point of the day came from Mrcela at the top of the lineup then, as she battled for a 3-6, 6-0, 7-5 victory to improve to 4-2 when playing at No. 1 singles this spring.
From The Sidelines
"This was a great team effort today, we played for each other which has been a big talking point for us throughout the year. Being shorthanded definitely made it difficult for us, but we came together and stayed focused throughout the match to pick up the win. Now we have a quick turnaround before another tough matchup against Xavier on Sunday, so we will have to refocus and set our game plan for Sunday's match." – head coach Frank Polito
Up Next
Cleveland State will return to the Medical Mutual Tennis Pavilion on Sunday (February 23), hosting Xavier in a 1:00 p.m. match.
The Results
Doubles (1, 2)
1. Mrcela/Avram (CSU) def. Kompa/Pleiman (UD), 6-2
2. Lenoan/Payne (CSU) def. Allen/Wojcikiewicz (UD), 6-4
3. Hamilton/Zargham (UD) win by forfeit
Singles (3, 2, 5, 4, 1)
1. Klara Mrcela (CSU) def. Paige Kompa (UD), 3-6, 6-0, 7-5
2. Kelly Pleiman (UD) def. Blanche Lenoan (CSU), 6-3, 6-4
3. Kateryna Avram (CSU) def. Erica Wojcikiewicz (UD), 6-2, 6-2
4. Siân Payne (CSU) def. Natalie Allen (UD), 6-2, 1-6, 6-2
5. Gaby Schoenberg (CSU) def. Elizabeth Hamilton (UD), 7-5, 6-1
6. Mary Brascia (UD) win by forfeit
