May 14, 2004
STANFORD, Calif. - The No. 26 Michigan women's tennis team will advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament West Region after defeating No. 46 Denver 4-1 at Taube Tennis Center on Friday.
The Pioneer duo of Rachel Sackmaster and Marisa Mechem were first off the court in doubles action with an 8-2 win over Michigan's Chrissie Nolan and Kavitha Tipirneni. The Wolverines would end up with the doubles point and the lead with wins at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots.
Denver was able to notch one singles point with a 3-6, 1-6 win from Sackmaster over Kara Delicata at the No. 5 position. Michigan didn't back down and took the next three wins for the match victory. Tipirneni, at the No. 3 position, clinched the match for the Wolverines with a 6-1, 7-5 downing of Pioneer Jenny Trettin.
Michigan will compete in second-round action on Saturday, May 15, at 3 p.m. at Taube Tennis Center against the winner of the Stanford/Quinnipiac first-round match.
No. 26 Michigan 4, No. 46 Denver 1
Doubles
1-(41) DaCosta/Delicata (Mich)* def. (48) Dullens/Maksovic (Denv) 8-5
2-Plaushines/Streifler (Mich) def. Trettin/Kourim (Denv) 8-1
3-Sackmaster/Mechem (Denv) def. Nolan/Tipirneni (Mich) 8-2
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1
* Clinched doubles point
Singles
1-(53) Michelle DaCosta (Mich) def. Yanick Dullens (Denv) 7-6, 6-4
2-(83) Elizabeth Exon (Mich) vs. Suzana Maksovic (Denv) DNF
3-Kavitha Tipirneni (Mich)* def. Jenny Trettin (Denv) 6-1, 7-5
4-Leanne Rutherford (Mich) vs. Barbara Kourim (Denv) DNF
5- Rachel Sackmaster (Denv) def. Kara Delicata (Mich) 6-3, 6-1
6-Debra Streifler (Mich) def. Elizabeth Messaros (Denv) 6-1, 6-3
Order of finish: 6, 5, 1, 3
* Clinched match