DULUTH, Minn. — The Michigan Tech women’s tennis team split a pair of matches here this weekend with a 8-1 win over Minnesota Duluth and a 5-4 loss to St. Scholastica. The Huskies record now stands at 14-7 in 2008-09.
Tech’s win over UMD was its second 8-1 victory over the Bulldogs this season. The Huskies won at every position except No. 5 singles. Slivia Oliveros and Natalia Rondelli were 8-6 victors at No. 1 doubles, and both players won by 6-2, 6-2 margins at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, respectively.
Whitney Schoep, in her first match of the season, was flawless in her return. She paired with Asel Otunichieva for an 8-0 win at No. 2 doubles before turning in a perfect 6-0, 6-0 decision at No. 6 singles.
Michigan Tech’s match against St. Scholastica proved to be very close throughout. Five of the nine positions featured match-deciding tiebreakers.
The Huskies edged in front after doubles thanks to a pair of 9-8 wins at No. 1 and No. 2. Oliveros and Rondelli’s tiebreaker score at No. 1 was 7-4, while Otunchieva and Schoep posted an 8-6 tiebreaker win at No. 2.
In singles, flights 1, 3 and 6 all went to third-set super tiebreakers. The Saints won two of the three. Otunchieva battled back from being down a set to win 5-7, 6-1, 10-7 at No. 3 singles. At No. 1, Oliveros won the first set but couldn’t hold on in a 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 result. Schoep fell 3-6, 6-1, 10-6 at No. 6.
Michigan Tech has one more match on its spring schedule, an April 8 tilt at St. Cloud State.
Photo Credit: Michigan Tech
