NORTH CANTON, Ohio – A three-set singles win by Jarka Petercakova (Bratislava, Slovakia/Sport Gymnasium) was the clincher as the 32nd-ranked IUP women's tennis team defeated Walsh 6-3 in a non-conference indoor match on Friday afternoon in Ohio.
 
Petercakova defeated Alena Skobkina 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 at the third spot to seal the victory for the Crimson Hawks as they improve to 8-3 overall on the season.
 
Her win followed back-to-back losses taken by IUP at the first and second singles spots, as Tanya Timko (Cannonsburg, PA/Chartiers-Houston) fell to Sofya Logunova 6-1, 6-0 and Raquel Gonzalez (San Sebastian, Spain/Colegio Sagrado Corazon) lost to Daria Bondareva 6-3, 6-1, respectively. Logunova is the ninth-ranked singles player in the Midwest Region while Bondareva is ranked 18th.
 
The Crimson Hawks also took singles wins at spots four thru six, as Sophie Butland (Taunton, Somerset U.K./Bishop Fox's Community School) (6-3, 3-6, 6-3), Luise Von Agris (Castrop-Rauxel Germany/Adalbet-Stifter-Gymnasium) (6-1, 6-2) and Rachel Wood (Nottingham, U.K./West Bridgrord) (6-1, 6-2) were all victorious.
 
IUP took a 2-1 lead in the match after doubles play, first getting an 8-4 at three as Butland and Alanna McFail (Fort Washington, Md. /St. John's College ) defeated Asia Harris and Alisha Angle. Timko and Petercakova then defeated Skovkina and Anastasiya Dasik 8-6 at one before Von Agris and Wood fell to Logunova and Bondareva 8-5.
 
It was IUP's fifth win in its last six matches dating back to March 11. The Crimson Hawks will go for their third straight victory, and third overall in conference play, when they host Slippery Rock on Saturday afternoon.
 
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