ERIE, Pa. – In a battle of two of the best squads in the Atlantic Region, the 32nd-ranked IUP women's tennis team defeated Mercyhurst 8-1 on Tuesday afternoon at the Pennbriar Athletic Club in Erie.
The Crimson Hawks entered the match ranked second in the region while Mercyhurst was ranked fourth. Three of Mercyhurst's singles players – and one doubles team – are regionally ranked, with IUP going a combined 3-1 against them.
IUP started off perfect in doubles, getting three victories to take the early lead.
Tanya Timko (Cannonsburg, PA/Chartiers-Houston) and
Jarka Petercakova (Bratislava, Slovakia/Sport Gymnasium) defeated Sarah Baich and Adrianna Jeffress 8-3 at the top spot before
Luise Von Agris (Castrop-Rauxel Germany/Adalbet-Stifter-Gymnasium) and
Rachel Wood (Nottingham, U.K./West Bridgrord) beat Annie Baich and Soaia Gomez 8-5 at two. Baich and Jeffress are ranked seventh in the region while Timko and Petercakova are ranked fourth.
Sophie Butland (Taunton, Somerset U.K./Bishop Fox's Community School) and
Alanna McFail (Fort Washington, Md. /St. John's College ) got the win at three, defeating Katelyn Caniford and Adina Spahalic 8-5.
Petercakova had IUP's first win in singles play, cruising past Sarah Baich 6-3, 6-1 at two. Von Agris defeated Spahalic 6-3, 6-0 at five before Butland scored a 6-4, 6-1 win over Annie Baich a three. Butland is ranked 13th in the region while Baich is ranked 16th.
Wood made it a 7-0 IUP lead with a 7-5, 7-6 (6) win over Caniford at six and Timko beat Gomez – the eighth-ranked player in the Atlantic – with a comeback 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 win at one. Mercyhurst's lone win came at three, as
Raquel Gonzalez (San Sebastian, Spain/Colegio Sagrado Corazon) took third-ranked Jeffress to three sets, ultimately falling 6-4, 4-6, 10-4.
The Crimson Hawks improved to 10-3 overall, and lead the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division with a 4-0 record. Mercyhurst fell to 8-2 and 1-1.
IUP will take a weekend road trip to Michigan to face 27th-ranked Wayne State on Friday and 41st-ranked Grand Valley State on Saturday.
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk.
