Box ScoreHILTON HEAD, S.C. –
Rachel Wood (Nottingham, U.K./West Bridgrord) came through with the clinching victory as the 38th-ranked IUP women's tennis team opened up its spring break trip with a 5-4 win over Tusculum on Monday morning. The Pioneers are ranked 47th in Division II.
It was the second straight win over a top 50 team for the Crimson Hawks, who improved to 4-0 this spring. It was the first loss of the year for Tusculum, which fell to 7-1.
Wood picked up the win at the No. 6 singles spot, defeated Emily Waters 6-4, 7-5.
Tusculum took a 2-1 lead after doubles and led 4-2 before the Crimson Hawks reeled off three straight wins to earn the comeback win.
Claudia Menes (Spain/San Eutiquio) got the run going with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Adrienne Kaye at No. 4, followed by a 6-2, 6-4 win by
Jarka Petercakova (Bratislava, Slovakia/Sport Gymnasium) over Kealee Heffner at the top spot. Wood's victory, which followed Petercakova's, was her second straight match-clinching win.
Petercakova and
Luise von Agris (Castrop-Rauxel Germany/Adalbet-Stifter-Gymnasium), the 18th-ranked doubles team in Division II, had IUP's lone double victory, defeating Franziska Funke and Amanda Sumner 9-7 at the No. 1 spot.
This is the first of three matches in Hilton Head for the Crimson Hawks, who play against Ashland on Tuesday at 8 a.m.
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's tennis on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPtennis.
