Tennis recovers from loss with two consecutive wins

Pitt’s women’s tennis team was victorious in two out of three games over spring break to… Pitt’s women’s tennis team was victorious in two out of three games over spring break to improve its overall record to 4-1. The Panthers had a tough road trip that started out with a dual match against defending Mid-American Conference Champion Marshall in Huntington, W.Va.

Marshall 7, Pitt 0

Just a week removed from winning their Big East opener against Georgetown, the Panthers suffered a 7-0 shutout defeat at Marshall on Feb. 28. As a team, the Thundering Herd gave up only eight games in singles play, as Jessica Johnson, Alice Sukner, Ashley Kroh, Lille Nzudie, Joelle Good and Danielle Hock were all straight-set winners for Marshall.

In doubles action, the team of Johnson and Kroh scored an 8-1 victory over Pitt’s number one pair, Laura Pegula and Emily Hughes. Anne Davies and Hayley Hughes suffered an 8-0 setback at the hands of Nzudie and Sukner. Hock and Megan Skalsky secured the Marshall sweep with an 8-0 victory over Becky Emmers and Danielle Shuttleworth in the number three doubles matchup.

Pitt (3-1 overall, 1-0 Big East) looked to rebound as it traveled just down the road to Moon Township to take on Robert Morris on March 2.

Pitt 7, Robert Morris 0

The Panthers bounced back from their first defeat of the season to easily defeat Robert Morris, 7-0. Pegula set the tone early for the Panthers with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Kathryn Skopinski in the No. 1 singles match. Emmers and Davies quickly grabbed straight-set victories of their own over Julie Wolf and Katie Dellich, respectively.

Hayley Hughes earned a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Sarah Hancock in the No. 3 singles contest, while Hughes’ sister, Emily, wrapped up a 6-1, 6-3 win over the Colonials’ No. 5, Gretchen Fry. Konita Jude finished singles play the way that Pegula had started it, breaking Jaima Schiffer’s serve six times en route to a 6-0, 6-0 sweep in the No. 6 singles contest.

The pair of Davies and Hayley Hughes handled Dellich and Wolf 8-2 in No. 1 doubles, while Emmers and Shuttleworth matched the 8-2 victory for the Panthers in a No. 3 match against Hancock and Schiffer.

Pitt attempted to get its second victory in a row as it traveled to Duck Key, Fl., on March 9 to take on Providence.

Pitt 5, Providence 2

Providence won two out of three doubles contests, but the Panthers hung on to win five out of their six singles matches, beating the Friars 5-2.

Pegula won a tough first-set tiebreak, 7-6, before getting swept by Jen Daigle, 6-0, in the second set. Pegula stormed back to win the third set, 6-2, and secure the No. 1 singles victory.

Emmers and Davies had easier times in their respective No. 2 and No. 3 singles matchups. Emmers grabbed a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Cheri Lapane, while Davies defeated Sara Bitetti 6-4, 6-1. Hayley Hughes bounced back from a 2-6 loss in her first set to win the second set 7-5, but ultimately fell to Molly Gilbride 2-6 in the third set. Emily Hughes and Jude each went the distance in their matches, but hung on for victories in the No. 5 and No. 6 singles contests.

Lapane and Sara Bitetti defeated Pegula and Emily Hughes in No. 1 doubles while Emmers and Shuttleworth fell to Daigle and Andrea Lee in No. 3 doubles. But it was not enough for the Friars, as Davies and Hughes defeated Gilbride and Nicole Rodger 8-2 in No. 2 doubles to secure the Panther victory and improve Pitt’s record to 4-1 overall on the season.