TAMPA- The University of South Florida women's tennis team picked up its first home win of the 2010 season on Friday against Stetson. The Bulls downed the Hatters, 6-1.
It was a warm and sunny day at the USF Varsity Tennis Courts on Friday with temperatures in the low 70's.
The day started out with doubles matches. Junior Irene Rehberger and senior Melissa Koning teamed up together to take on Valentina Galbarini and Carolina De Los Santos. After falling behind 1-0, Koning and Rehberger would bounce back and win eight straight games to secure the 8-1 victory.
Freshman Ecaterina Vasenina and redshirt sophomore Janette Bejlkova took on Breanna Atkinson and Katherine Nowicki in their doubles match on Friday. After going up 7-4 in the match, Vasenina and Bejlkova would drop the next two games to Atkinson and Nowicki which made the score 7-6. Vasenina and Bejlkova went on to win the next game, though, which gave them the 8-6 win. This win earned the Bulls their first point of the day and a one-point advantage heading into singles matches.
Junior Natalia Guevara and senior Allyn Mueller also competed in doubles action on Friday against Unnati Purushotham and Shannon Gunning. After falling behind, 5-2, Mueller and Guevara would fight back and make the score 7-6. Guevara and Mueller would end up falling to Purushotham and Gunning in the next game, though, which gave Purushotham and Gunning the 8-6 victory.
Senior Jessica Zok started out singles competition for the Bulls on Friday with a win in her singles match against Nowicki. Zok took down Nowicki in two sets, 6-0, 6-1.
Guevara kept things going for the Bulls in her singles match against Gunning. Guevara beat Gunning in two sets, 6-2, 6-1.
Rehberger picked up the Bulls third win of the day in her singles match against Galbarini. Both players fought hard but Rehberger proved to be too much for Galbarini and rolled past her, 6-2, 6-1.
Vasenina kept the momentum going for the Bulls in her singles match against Purushotham. Vasenina topped Purushotham in two sets, 6-3, 6-1.
Koning picked up the Bulls' fifth and final singles win of the day in her singles match against Carolina De Los Santos. Koning picked up the first set on De Los Santos, 6-2. Both players would battle it out in the second set with Koning picking up the close, 7-6 (7-5) second set win over De Los Santos.
Mueller also competed in singles action for the Bulls on Friday in her match against Atkinson. Mueller would fall in the first set, 6-1, but fought back in the second set and won, 7-6. That sent the match into a third set. Mueller would end up falling to Atkinson, 7-2, in the third set.
The Bulls will be back in action on Monday, February 8, when they travel to Gainesville to take on No. 8 Florida.
