Tennis finds success in Youngstown State tourny

The Panthers could only muster a doubles title in the Flight A consolation bracket of the… The Panthers could only muster a doubles title in the Flight A consolation bracket of the 2006 Eastern Women’s Intercollegiate Tennis Championships in West Point, N.Y.

This honor went to the tandem of sophomore Christie D’achille and freshman Anna Broverman.

D’achille and Broverman picked up victories against Nicole Henderson and Aja Wright of Howard, 8-3, and against Quinnipiac’s Denielle Rodriguez and Kasey Rosenberger, respectively, also by an 8-3 count.

The Pitt pair ended up in the consolation section following its 4-8 defeat to Army’s Kristin Beehler and Jessica Shurtz.

In the singles bracket, the Panthers were highlighted by Kristy Borza’s sweep of Providence’s Ashley Rissolo (6-0, 6-2) and her win on Saturday in the first match of Flight A singles. She swept Providence’s Niki Flach by scores of 6-1 and 6-2, before being swept herself later that day to No. 1 seed Ames Dais of Brown (3-6, 4-6).

The other Panthers did not fare so well in the quarterfinal singles. Leah Friedman followed her Friday victory over Ksenia Chernyshova of Fairleigh Dickinson (6-0, 6-2) by ending up on the flip side of the broom. This was courtesy of Quinnipiac’s Mary Wilson, the third-seed, by a count of 2-6, 4-6.

Annie Davies defeated Seton Hall’s Veronika Gerka by two 6-3 scores on Friday, but she also went down by a sweep on Saturday by two 4-6 scores to No. 3 seed Uconn’s Kelly LoRusso.

Carlie Smith was swept, too, at the hands of Stephanie LeFartune, also a third-seed, 3-6, 3-6. This followed her three-set win over Army’s Kate Houghton (4-6, 6-3, 10-5).

Pitt’s only other action in the doubles set was the tandem of Michele Petrasko and Anne Piccirillo, who fell by a score of 8-5 to Quinnipiac’s Nikki Adams and Shawna Sarson in flight B action.

Head coach George Dieffenbach could not be reached for comment. The Panthers resume action this Saturday at the Youngstown State Invitational in Youngstown, Ohio.