ATLANTA (03/30/07) ? The Georgia State (9-7) women's tennis team downed Wofford (4-9) 7-0 on Friday afternoon at the Piedmont Park Tennis Center. It is the Panthers third win in a row.
“I am really pleased with how the team is playing and putting in consistently strong efforts,” commented head coach Lisa Belcher. “They have worked hard this season and their results are demonstrating that level of effort.”
Dariana Kozmina (Kharkiv, Ukraine) and Rachel Malina (Decatur, Ga.) quickly dropped their opponent 8-1 to open doubles action. Mateja Podgorsek (Domzale, Slovenia) and Emma Stahl-Johansson (Sodertalje, Sweden) followed with an 8-6 victory to give State the doubles point.
Due to illness of a Wofford player, Georgia State gained the first doubles point. Martina Nitkova (Vratimov, Czech Republic) dominated the game, winning 6-1, 6-0 for the Panthers third point of the contest. Kiera Strickland (Roswell, Ga.) clinched the match as she downed Wofford's Lauren Prickett 6-1, 6-2. Malina and Kozmina also defeated their respective adversaries.
“We have some tough matches ahead, starting Saturday with Troy,” stated Belcher. “I am looking forward to seeing them compete the same way they have been in the past couple of weeks. We have had very consistently strong singles play from almost every position, and doubles is improving with each match.”
Georgia State will take on Troy on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. in Alabama.
Doubles
No. 1 ? Kozmina/Malina (GSU) def. Hodges/Wetzig (WOF) 8-1
No. 2 ? Henry/Carson (WOF) def. Nitkova/Strickland (GSU) 8-5
No. 3 ? Podgorsek/Stahl-Johansson (GSU) def Smyers/Prickett (WOF) 8-6*
Order of Finish: 1, 3*, 2
* Clinche point
Singles
No. 1 ? Dariana Kozmina (GSU) def. Mary Ellen Henry (WOF) 6-4, 6-1
No. 2 - Martina Nitkova (GSU) def. Adrienne Hodges (WOF) 6-1, 6-0
No. 3 ? Rachel Malina (GSU) def. Kayla Wetzig (WOF) 6-2, 6-1
No. 4 ? Mateja Podgorsek (GSU) def. McKenizie Carson (WOF) (Default due to illness)
No. 5 ? Sabrina Smyers (WOF) def. Emma Stahl-Johansson (GSU) 6-1, 6-0
No. 6 ? Kiera Strickland (GSU) def. Lauren Prickett (WOF) 6-1, 6-2
Order of Finish: 4, 5, 2, 6*, 3, 1
(4 did not start the match)
