Monday, January 28, 2008 , Updated
SMU women’s tennis pulls off Ivy League sweep
SMU 4, Harvard 3
The No. 57 SMU women's tennis team picked up its first victory in the spring season opener, beating Harvard, 4-3. The Mustangs were bolstered by strong singles performances, particularly at the bottom of the lineup.
The Crimson challenged SMU in doubles action, winning two of the three matches. Natalia Bubien and Pavi Francis fell at No. 1 doubles, 8-3. But Kseniia Tokarieva and Nicole Briceno battled to a decisive 8-2 win at No. 2, leaving the doubles point open for the No. 3 pair. Kristen Reid and Monica Neveklovska came out strong, but dropped the point to Harvard, 8-5.
Bubien started singles play off strongly for the Mustangs, taking the win over Beier Ko in straight sets, 6-2, 7-5. Francis and Neveklovska each dropped their matches, at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.
But the bottom half of SMU's lineup packed a punch. Reid fought off Elizabeth Brook at No. 4, winning her match, 7-6, 6-3. Tokarieva outlasted Harvard's Catriona Stewart (5-7, 6-3, 6-1) in the only match of the day to go three sets. Briceno blanked Vilsa Curto, winning in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0.
SMU 4, Harvard 3
Doubles
No. 1 Agnes Sibilski/Beier Ko def. Bubien/Francis, 8-3
No. 2 Tokarieva/Briceno def. Elizabeth Brook/Vilsa Curto, 8-2
No. 3 Stephanie Schnitter/Catriona Stewart def. Reid/Neveklovska, 8-5
Singles
No. 1 Natalia Bubien(SMU) def. Beier Ko (H), 6-2, 7-5
No. 2 Stephanie Schnitter (H) def. Pavi Francis (SMU), 6-1,7-6(2)
No. 3 Agnes Sibilski (H) def. Monica Neveklovska(SMU), 6-3,6-3
No. 4 Kristen Reid (SMU) def. Elizabeth Brook (H), 7-6,6-3
No. 5 Kseniia Tokarieva (SMU) def. Catriona Stewart (H), 5-7, 6-3, 6-1
No. 6 Nicole Briceno (SMU) def. Vilsa Curto (H), 6-0, 6-0
SMU 5, Brown 2
The SMU women's tennis team picked up its second win in as many matches, beating Brown University, 5-2.
The Mustangs dominated the Bears, taking the all three doubles matches for the doubles point and giving strong singles performances up and down the lineup. Natalia Bubien and Pavi Francis kicked off the match with a convincing 8-3 win over Aboubakare/Schonfeld at No. 1 doubles. Kseniia Tokarieva and Nicole Briceno continued the winning trend by picking up another big win (8-1) over Kirkpatrick/Mansur at No. 2 doubles. At No. 3 doubles, Kristen Reid and Monica Neveklovska defeated Ellis/Sorokko, 8-3.
As in doubles, the momentum was all in SMU's favor in singles play. Bubien took on Bianca Aboubakare at No. 1, beating her 7-6 (3), 6-2. At No. 2 singles, Neveklovska fought, but was unable to maintain the winning ways of the Mustangs, dropping her match 6-2, 6-2.
But Francis quickly squelched any hope of a Bears rally, picking up a decisive victory over Melissa Schonfeld at No. 3, 6-0, 6-2. Reid battled her way through a 7-5, 6-4 win at No. 4 singles before Briceno was defeated at No. 5, 6-4, def. Tokarieva put the exclamation point on the Mustangs' New England road trip, beating Alexa Baggio in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1 at No. 6.
SMU is back in action Thursday, Jan. 31 at 2pm as they visit UT-Arlington, before hosting Prairie View A&M Saturday Feb. 2 at 3pm and Texas-San Antonio Sunday, Feb. 3 at noon.
SMU 5, Brown 2
Doubles
1 Bubien/Francis def. Aboubakare/Schonfeld 8-3
2 Tokarieva/Briceno def. Kirkpatrick/Mansur 8-1
3 Reid/Neveklovska def. Ellis/Sorokko 8-3
Singles
1 Bubien def. Aboubakare 7-6 (3), 6-2
2 Mansur def. Neveklovksa 6-2, 6-2
3 Francis def. Schonfeld 6-0, 6-2
4 Reid def. Finkelstein 7-5, 6-4
5 Vucetic def. Briceno 6-4, def
6 Tokarieva def. Baggio 6-2, 6-1
Source: SMU
