Buffalo hands Pitt tennis year’s first loss

It was going to happen eventually to the Pitt tennis team. The Panthers suffered a 5-2 loss to… It was going to happen eventually to the Pitt tennis team. The Panthers suffered a 5-2 loss to Buffalo at home on Saturday, their first loss of the season. Heading into the match, Pitt coach George Dieffenbach knew it was going to be a battle. ‘Buffalo is an outstanding team with a lot of depth,’ said Dieffenbach. ‘We knew we were facing a very strong team.’ It was a trend that was obvious throughout the day. At No. 1 singles, previously unbeaten sophomore Elizabeth Adams lost her first match of the year 6-2, 6-3 to Denise Harjanto. Meanwhile Pitt’s No. 2 singles player, Sabrina Visram, sat out because of an ACL injury. Dieffenbach said that if Visram was in the lineup, some of the singles matches could have gone the other way, and the outcome of the overall match could have been different. ‘Having [Visram] would have changed the complexion of the match,’ said Dieffenbach. Dieffenbach said that no decision has been made about whether or not Visram will have surgery. While the overall match was a disappointment for Pitt (7-1, 4-0 Big East), the high point on Saturday was sweeping the doubles competitions. Adams and Kristy Borza upped their record to 8-0 in No. 1 doubles this season, beating Harjanto and Diana Popescu, 8-6. It was the first loss this season for Harjanto and Popescu. ‘Sweeping the doubles against a team like this is a tremendous accomplishment for Pitt tennis,’ said Dieffenbach. ‘It shows that we are as competitive as a team like Buffalo.’ Buffalo, now 3-3 on the year, won the MAC last year. Adela Aprodu was the only Panther to win at singles, as she beat Aleksandra Petrova 6-1, 7-5 at No. 5 singles. ‘[Aprodu] has had a really good season and has stepped up for the plate for us so far,’ said Dieffenbach. ‘She plays with a lot of intensity and offense.’ Pitt will have a shot at bouncing back when it faces St. Thomas (Fla.) and Nova Southeastern on the road next week during spring break.