Pitt splits pair of Big East matches over weekend

The Pitt tennis team showed two different sides of itself this weekend, sweeping… The Pitt tennis team showed two different sides of itself this weekend, sweeping Connecticut 7-0 on Saturday but falling to Rutgers 6-1 the next day.

The Panthers (11-6, 6-2 Big East) were simply too much for the Huskies (7-9, 2-7), who have lost their last three conference matches. It was Pitt’s fifth shutout of the season.

‘We came out ready to win,’ said senior Christie D’Achille. ‘We really wanted to dominate them.’

Senior Kristy Borza and sophomore Elizabeth Adams plowed through their opponents at No. 1 and No. 2 singles. Borza defeated Kelly LeRusso 6-3, 6-2, and Adams beat Ali Compitiello 6-3, 6-0. The duo also won at No. 1 doubles, beating LeRusso and Emily Herb 8-4.

The bottom four singles matches all went three sets, with Pitt coming out victorious in each. One of those matches was at No. 4 singles, where D’Achille came back to beat Herb 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. It was D’Achille’s 111th career win as a Panther.

‘It took a while for me to get used to my opponent, but then I buckled down and started attacking,’ she said.

Winning every match gave Pitt a much needed boost of confidence, since it lost its last two matches, 5-2 at Duquesne and 6-1 against Syracuse.

However, it was a different story on Sunday. The Panthers weren’t playing their best tennis when they lost to a very talented Rutgers (13-4, 7-2) team.

Adams was the only Panther to win against the Scarlet Knights, whipping Katherine Arlak 6-0, 6-1 at No. 2 singles. Adams’ single-season winning percentage now stands at .760, which puts her in the top 10 in Pitt history.

Adams and Borza, who started the season by winning their first 14 doubles matches, have lost two of their last three matches. Amy Zhang and Polina Zaretser beat them 8-5 in an intense match at No. 1 doubles.

A very close match at No. 3 doubles also didn’t go the Panthers way, as D’Achille and junior Shannon Benic lost to Morgan Ivey and Jennifer Holzberg 9-8(4). It’s just the second loss of the season for D’Achille and Benic, who started out 7-0.

‘We had a few opportunities that we could have capitalized on, but didn’t,’ said D’Achille.

The senior also lost in two hard-fought sets at No. 4 singles to Maryana Milchutskey 7-5, 7-5.

‘I was right there the whole time. I just needed a couple points here and there. It could have gone either way,’ said D’Achille.

Even with this loss, D’Achille feels the team is not that far behind Rutgers.

‘They are a good team, but I think with some hard work we could beat them if we got a second chance,’ she said.

Pitt will travel down the street to play Carnegie Mellon Wednesday at 4 p.m. Don’t expect the Panthers to be down and out after Sunday’s loss.

‘When we lose, we just leave it on the court and work hard for the next match,’ said D’Achille.