St. John's University Athletics
St. John's University
Pittsburgh *
Women's Tennis Falls To Pitt, 5-2
2/8/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Feb. 7, 2009
MONROEVILLE, Pa. - The St. John's women's tennis team opened its 2009 BIG EAST slate with a 5-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Panthers on Saturday at Pitt's home facility, The Club. With the loss, the Red Storm falls to 0-2, while the Panthers improve to 2-0.
Leading the way for St. John's were freshmen Ece Firat and Joanna Zwirbulis. The duo picked up a win at the No. 2 doubles spot, 9-7, over Pitt's Sabrina Visram and Christie D'Achille. The Panthers won the first point, however, with victories at the No. 1 and No. 3 spots to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
Firat won her singles match in the No. 3 spot over Pittsburgh's Kristy Borza, 6-2, 6-2, claiming the first point of the season for the Red Storm. Zwirbulis also won her second match of the night with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Pitt's Minh Evans in the No. 4 singles spot. Freshman Ksenia Mikhaylova put up a fight at the No. 2 spot, but the Panthers' Sabrina Visram came from behind to win 5-7, 7-5 and 10-7 in the third-set tiebreaker.
The Red Storm returns to action on Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 4 p.m., when the squad takes on the Knights of Fairleigh Dickinson. The match will be St. John's first home contest of the season and will be held at the Alley Pond Tennis Center.
Pittsburgh 5, St. John's 2
Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009
The Club - Monroeville, Pa.
Doubles
1. Elizabeth Adams/Kristy Borza (Pitt) def. Jenny Yonkus / Nakita Austin (STJ), 8-4
2. Ece Firat / Joanna Zwirbulis (STJ) def. Sabrina Visram/Christie D'Achille (Pitt), 9-7
3. Adela Aprodu/Shannon Benic (Pitt) def. Gabija Gasiunaite / Alyssa Liantonio (STJ), 8-5
Pitt wins the doubles point, leads the match 1-0
Singles
1. Elizabeth Adams (Pitt) def. Ira Aleksova (STJ), 6-2, 6-1
2. Sabrina Visram (Pitt) def. Ksenia Mikhaylova (STJ), 5-7, 7-5, 10-7
3. Ece Firat (STJ) def. Kristy Borza (Pitt), 6-2, 6-2
4. Joanna Zwirbulis (STJ) def. Minh Evans (Pitt), 6-4, 6-2
5. Christie D'Achille (Pitt) def. Nakita Austin (STJ), 6-4, 6-2
6. Adela Aprou (Pitt) def. Jenny Yonkus (STJ), 6-1, 6-1
Players Mentioned
