Bowling Green State University Athletics
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WESTERN MICHIGAN
Falcons Fall to No. 56 Broncos in MAC Opener, 6-1
March 21, 2009 | Women's Tennis
March 21, 2009
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (BGSUFalcons.com) - The Bowling Green State University tennis team gave Western Michigan University a battle Saturday afternoon (March 21), but the host Broncos were able to pull away from the Falcons for a 6-1 win. The match, the Mid-American Conference opener for both teams, was held at Sorensen Courts.
With the win, the Broncos improve to 14-5 in dual-match play this season. Western is ranked 56th in the nation. The Falcons fall to 7-4 on the year.
Sophomore Christine Chiricosta was a bright spot for the Falcons, picking up a singles win over WMU's Emily Dudzik at the second flight after teaming with senior co-captain Kelsey Jakupcin for a doubles win earlier in the day.
The doubles point was closely contested. Each school won one match by a lopsided score, with Western's third-flight team picking up an 8-0 win, but the Chiricosta/Jakupcin tandem downing Ashley Moccia and Jenny Nalepa, 8-2, at the top flight.
The day's initial point came down to the second-flight match, where Dudzik and Yumi Matsuto were able to slip past BG juniors Katia Babina and Samantha Kintzel, 8-6.
In singles action, WMU won five of the six flights in straight sets, with Chiricosta also winning in the minimum two sets at the second flight. Jakupcin was tied with 2008 MAC Player of the Year Kerstin Pahl, 3-3, in the first set, before Pahl was able to pull away for the win at the top flight. Babina went to a first-set tiebreaker with WMU's Maria Nivia in fourth-flight action before succumbing, 7-6, 6-2.
For the Broncos, the win was the 35th MAC regular-season victory in a row. Western has won the last four conference regular-season championships.
The Falcons return home for a pair of matches next weekend, facing Toledo Friday (March 27) and Eastern Michigan Saturday (March 28). Weather permitting, each match is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. at Keefe Courts on the BGSU campus.
NOTES
* Chiricosta is now 8-1 in singles in dual-match play, including a 6-1 mark at the second flight ... overall, she has a singles mark of 16-4 this season.
* Senior Stefanie Menoff suffered her first loss at the fifth flight in dual-match singles this year ... she had entered Saturday's match with a 7-0 singles record in duals at the number-five flight ... Menoff, like Chiricosta, is 16-4 in singles matches this year.
* Chiricosta and senior Kelsey Jakupcin are now 6-2 in doubles play during the dual-match schedule ... they are 14-6 overall this year and 31-12 in their careers as a doubles team.
* Jakupcin now has 68 career doubles victories, tying her for eighth on the BGSU list ... she is deadlocked with Cindy Mikolajewski (1994-97) for eighth ... Jenny Cheung (1995-98) holds the school record with 84 career doubles victories.
* Jakupcin is also eighth on the combined career wins list at BGSU, with a total of 133 victories ... Jakupcin is 20 wins shy of school record-holder Deidee Bissinger (153 wins from 1997-2000).
#56 Western Michigan 6, Bowling Green 1
Sat., March 21 - Sorensen Courts - Kalamazoo, Mich.
SINGLES
1 - Kerstin Pahl (WMU) def. Kelsey Jakupcin 6-3, 6-1
2 - Christine Chiricosta (BGSU) def. Emily Dudzik 7-6, 6-3
3 - Jenny Nalepa (WMU) def. Samantha Kintzel 6-3, 6-3
4 - Maria Nivia (WMU) def. Katia Babina 7-6, 6-2
5 - Ashley Moccia (WMU) def. Stefanie Menoff 6-2, 6-3
6 - Rachel Denny (WMU) def. Libby Harrison 6-2, 6-1
DOUBLES
1 - Chiricosta/Jakupcin (BGSU) def. Ash. Moccia/Nalepa 8-2
2 - Dudzik/Yumi Matsuto (WMU) def. Babina/Kintzel 8-6
3 - Pahl/Amanda Moccia (WMU) def. Harrison/Menoff 8-0
Order of finish
Singles: 3,5,1,6,4,2
Doubles: 3,1,2
