Pitt Tennis Ready for Harvard Invitational

Nov. 5, 2015

PITTSBURGH - The Pitt tennis team will conclude its fall season this weekend at the Harvard Invitational. The Panthers are set to face Boston University, ACC-foe Syracuse, and host team Harvard starting Friday, Nov. 6, with action concluding on Sunday, Nov. 8.

"We are very excited to compete at the Harvard Invitational," head coach Alex Santos said. "I think we have come a long way since the beginning of the fall and our goal is to end on a high note. Harvard will be a great challenge. We will need to be resilient and tactically sound in taking the match where we want, and be accountable on every single court."

LAST TIME OUT

Prior to making the trip to Cambridge, Mass., Pitt competed in three invitationals and the 2015 ITA Regional Championships. The Panthers have made waves throughout the fall season, including a doubles semifinal appearance at Regionals by junior Lolade Ogungbesan and senior partner Amber Washington. The tandem became the first Pitt doubles team to reach the semifinal round of an ITA tournament.

THE OPPONENTS

The Panthers will first clash with the Crimson on Friday at 3:45 p.m. The two teams met earlier this fall at the Bulldog Invitational, where Pitt went 3-3 in singles and 2-1 in doubles action against Harvard. The host team's major threats are Nikki Kallenberg who ranks 98th in the ITA preseason polls, while Erica Oosterhaut was tabbed eighth in the ITA preseason Freshman/Newcomer poll.

The following day, the Panthers will take on Boston University at 2:15 p.m. In singles action, BU is paced by freshman Sabrina Faybyshev and senior Lauren Davis. Both Terriers made a successful run at the Brown Invitational earlier this fall by advancing to their respective singles flight championship match. Faybyshev has also played impressive doubles tennis as she and her partner Johanna Hyoty went 2-1 at ITA Regionals, advancing to the Round of 16.

Pitt will top off the weekend with Syracuse at 9:30 a.m. The familiar opponents will get first glimpse of each other this fall before meeting again in the regular season. Graduate student Anna Shkudun enters the weekend fresh off an ITA Northeast Regional singles championship victory. Shkudun defeated teammate Valeria Salazar to advance to the ITA National Indoor Championships, which is set for Nov. 12. Although taking down her teammate in singles, Shkudun and Salazar combined forces in doubles where they advanced all the way to the championship round.

Pitt Tennis Ready for Harvard Invitational

Players Mentioned

Lolade Ogungbesan

Amber Washington

Related Videos