Results

CALIFORNIA, Pa. – In what will end up being the best women's tennis match played in the Atlantic Region this season, 32nd-ranked IUP fell just short of pulling an upset over 12th-ranked California (Pa.), getting edged by a score of 5-4 at Rodman Park.
 
It was the closest match played between these two schools since Cal began its streak of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championships in 2007.
 
The match included a huge comeback by the Crimson Hawks, who had fallen behind Cal 4-0 after the first singles decision. Two of IUP's losses in doubles play were by two or less points, including a tiebreaker at the second spot. Luise Von Agris (Castrop-Rauxel Germany/Adalbet-Stifter-Gymnasium) and Rachel Wood (Nottingham, U.K./West Bridgrord) nearly pulled out the victory, falling to Ramona Czakon and Mariela Sarinana 9-8 (9-7).
 
Tanya Timko (Cannonsburg, PA/Chartiers-Houston) and Jarka Petercakova (Bratislava, Slovakia/Sport Gymnasium) also almost got the upset at the top spot, losing to the sixth-ranked pair of Kiefer Shaw and Jesse Burrell 9-7. Cal's victory at three came by a score of 8-4 as Lena Dimmer and Veronika Mikulis defeated Sophie Butland (Taunton, Somerset U.K./Bishop Fox's Community School) and Alanna McFail (Fort Washington, Md. /St. John's College ).
 
The Vulcans (8-2, 3-0 PSAC) took their 4-0 lead with a win at the sixth singles spot as Sarinana defeated Wood 6-2, 6-1.
 
IUP began its comeback with a victory at the four spot when Butland defeated Alice Johns 6-3, 6-1. Von Agris then made it a 4-2 match with a 7-6, 6-2 victory over Mikulis at five. The Crimson Hawks' third straight win came at two when Petercakova upset the 35th-ranked Czakon by a score of 7-5, 6-2.
 
Raquel Gonzalez (San Sebastian, Spain/Colegio Sagrado Corazon) tied the match at 4-4 with her own comeback, defeating Dimmer in three sets by a score of 2-6, 6-4, 6-1.
 
The match came down to first singles and a pair of top-50 players in the 23rd-ranked Shaw and the 46th-ranked Timko. Shaw won the first set 6-4 before Timko fired back with a 6-3 second set victory. She would have a 3-2 lead in the third set but Shaw rallied for 6-4 win to take the set and clinch the match.
 
IUP fell to 11-6 overall and 4-1 in the PSAC West.
 
The match was a battle between the top two teams in the region, with Cal holding down the top spot while the Crimson Hawks are second. These two teams have also met for the PSAC championship in each of the last four seasons. An IUP victory would have been Cal's first loss to a PSAC team since falling to Bloomsburg in the PSAC championship match in 2006.
 
The Crimson Hawks are back on the court on Sunday when they host West Virginia State at 1 p.m.
 
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk.