Cavaliers Fall To Penn In Women's Tennis, 4-3

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Feb. 17, 2002

PHILADELPHIA – The UVa women’s tennis team lost its first match of the spring to Penn, 4-3, on Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia, but went down with a fight.

Jennifer Tuchband, moving up to compete at No. 1 singles for the second time in as many days, defeated her second ranked opponent in as many days, as she came away with a convincing 6-3, 6-1 victory over No. 24 Alice Pirsu. Yesterday at Princeton, Tuchband defeated Kavitha Krwhnamarthy, ranked at No. 40, 2-6, 6-3, 6-1. Tuchband improves to 9-4 on the season, and is 2-0 at No. 1 singles. Amy O’Donnell won her second match in as many days, defeating Sanela Kunovac, 3-6, 7-6, ret. O’Donnell came back from a triple match point deficit yesterday at Princeton, and followed that up by coming back from a 3-6 and 2-5 deficit this afternoon. She improves to 8-2 on the season. Marta Bechliwanis picked up the other victory in singles competition for the Cavaliers, defeating Raluca Ciulei at No. 4, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3. Bechliwanis improves to a team-best 12-3, while the team is a perfect 8-0 at No. 4 singles this season.

The Cavaliers sit at 6-2 on the season, and return to action next Sunday, Feb. 24, when they host Dartmouth at the Boar’s Head Inn Tennis Center at 1 p.m..

No. 33 Pennsylvania 4, No. 42 Virginia 3
Singles

1. Jennifer Tuchband (UVa) def. Alice Pirsu (Penn), 6-3, 6-12. Amy O'Donnell (UVa) def Sanela Kunovac (Penn), 3-6, 7-6, ret.3. Nicole Ptak (Penn) def. Dora Bechliwanis (UVa), 7-6, 6-04. Marta Bechliwanis (UVa) def. Raluca Ciulei (Penn), 2-6, 6-4, 6-35. Shelah Chao (Penn) def. Laura James (UVa), 6-2, 6-16. Michelle Yeh (Penn) def. Christine Kim (UVa), 6-4, 6-2

Doubles1. Pirsu/Shweky (Penn) def. D. Bechliwanis/M. Bechliwanis (UVa), 8-32. Kunovac/Williams (Penn) def. O’Donnell/Kim (UVa), 8-13. Chao/Ciulei (Penn) def. James/Tuchband (UVa), 8-0

-UVa-