Tennis drops both decisions at Big East Tourney

The Pitt women’s tennis team fell to Seton Hall 4-2 Friday on the second day of the Big East… The Pitt women’s tennis team fell to Seton Hall 4-2 Friday on the second day of the Big East Championships after the Panthers picked up only two points against the Pirates at the University of South Florida Courts. Pitt dropped its last match of the Championship, 4-3, to Marquette on Sunday in the consolation round.

Seton Hall 4, Pitt 2

Pitt’s Kristy Borza and Pitt Junior Annie Davies each picked up one of the two Panther points, which both came in singles play.

Borza defeated the Pirates’ Viviana Figueroa at the No. 1 singles slot in two sets. Borza topped Figueroa 6-2, 6-3 before a home-based set of fans. With the win, Borza now holds a 25-7 singles record for the season, which leaves her one win shy of the all-time record for singles, set at 26 by Maria Paris in the 1979-80 season.

Davies picked up the second point for the Panthers in another two-set victory at the No. 3 singles spot against Nadia Sein. Davies topped Sein 7-5, 6-3.

The Panthers were swept in doubles, losing all three matches and the doubles point.

Borza and Leah Friedman teamed up for the Panthers at the No. 1 doubles spot and lost to the Pirates’ Figueroa and Sein, 8-6. The Panthers’ Emily Hughes and Carlie Smith were defeated at No. 2 doubles by Iva Gyergyna and Amanda El Togby in a tight match that ended 9-7.

Pitt’s Becky Emmers and Davies dropped a close No. 3 doubles match to the Pirates’ Elbry Burduroglu and Danielle Viola, 8-7. Emmers and Davies started out on top of the match with a 5-2 lead before the Pirates came back to take the match.

Down 1-0, the Panthers went into singles play and picked up two of the six matches. Hughes dropped the No. 4 singles match to Viola, 7-6 (4), 6-0, which was also the game-winning match for the Pirates. Smith dropped the No. 5 match to Burduroglu, 6-4, 6-2. Pitt’s Christie D’achille was defeated by Gyurgina at the No. 6 singles match, 6-4, 7-5 and Friedman played in the No. 2 match against El Tobgy 6-4, 5-7, 3-0 (DNF).

Marquette 4, Pitt 3

Freshman Borza was named 2005-06 recipient of the University of Pittsburgh women’s tennis team MVP Award after the team’s final match in the Championship on Sunday.

Borza topped her singles opponent in a two-set match again, which increased her singles record to 26-7 for the season, and ties the all-time record. Borza also recorded 21 doubles wins for the season which also ties the record for doubles wins in a season.

The Panthers dropped the doubles point after winning one of three matches. Davies and Emmers topped the Golden Eagles Dominika Dabrowski, 9-7 in the No. 3 singles match. Borza and Friedman dropped the No. 1 singles match to Marquette’s Beha Calbeto and Lauren Little, 9-8 (6). Hughes and Smith were defeated 8-6, at the No. 2 doubles spot.

Hughes recorded the first point for the Panthers with a win in singles play over Dabrowski. Hughes played at the No. 4 spot for a 6-1, 6-4. Hughes finished her career with 96 wins and a 19-12 singles record this season.

D’achille picked up the second point for the Panthers with a 6-4, 6-1 win at the No. 6 singles spot. D’achille finished the season with a 9-6 record. Borza finished just after D’achille at the No. 1 spot, picking up the third and final point for the Panthers. Borza took on Calbeto at the No. 1 singles spot for a 6-3, 6-2 win.

Friedman dropped the No. 2 singles match against Little, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-4. Davies was defeated at the No. 3 singles spot, 6-2, 6-2, by Watkins and Smith dropped the No. 5 singles match, 6-1, 6-4 to Bonnelly.

The Panthers finished their 12th season in the Big East conference on top with a 14-9 record for the season after their first trip to the Big East Championship in 6 years.