Panthers Dominate Mountaineers, 6-1

Saturday, January 21

Pittsburgh, Pa.

10:00 AM

Pitt

West Virginia

Panthers Dominate Mountaineers, 6-1

1/21/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis

Jan. 21, 2017

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt tennis team downed long-time rival West Virginia, 6-1, Saturday afternoon at the Alpha Tennis and Fitness Center.

Pitt came out on fire and went on to win all three matches in doubles play, clinching the doubles point. The tandem of senior Audrey Ann Blakely and sophomore Clara Lucas turned in the first win of the day playing No. 3. They took down Paula Goetz and Yvon Martinez of West Virginia, 6-4.

Turning in the second doubles win was the veteran duo of redshirt senior Amber Washington and junior Callie Frey, who recorded a 7-6(5) victory at No. 1 doubles. Washington and Frey took a dominating 5-0 lead, but then dropped five straight games to Kaja Mrgole and Christina Jordan. The duo regrouped and came back to put the match away in favor of the Panthers, clinching the doubles point.

The young doubles team of sophomore Gabriela Rezende and freshman Jovana Knezevic also went the distance at No. 2 doubles. Rezende and Knezevic topped their fierce Mountaineer opponents, 7-6(3).

Moving to singles, Washington dropped a hard-fought match to Shaker at No. 1 singles, 6-4, 6-3, to tie to the dual, 1-1.

Knezevic gave the Panthers the lead by efficiently defeating Christina 6-4, 6-4 in No. 4 singles. Frey would do nearly the same in the No. 5 position as she took down Choo 6-4, 7-5. At No. 2 singles, Blakely bested Mrgole in a three-set thriller 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, to lock up the dual for Pitt, 4-1.

Playing No. 3 singles, Rezende outlasted Goetz in straight sets, 7-5, 7-5, while Lucas was the final Panther to turn in a victory on the day as she polished off a three-set match with Martinez at No. 6 singles, 6-4, 5-7, 11-9.

Pitt resumes action Saturday, Jan. 29 to face its first ACC opponent in Notre Dame. The dual is set to get underway at 10 a.m. at the Alpha Tennis and Fitness Center.

Doubles

1: Amber Washington/Callie Frey (Pitt) def. Kaja Mrgole/Christina Jordan (WVU), 7-6(5)

2: Gabriela Rezende/Jovana Knezevic (Pitt) def. Habiba Shaker/Lyn Yuen Choo (WVU), 7-6(3)

3: Audrey Ann Blakely/Clara Lucas (Pitt) def. Paula Goetz/Yvon Martinez (WVU), 6-4

Singles

1: Habiba Shaker (WVU) def. Amber Washington (Pitt), 6-4, 6-3

2: Audrey Ann Blakely (Pitt) def. Kaja Mrgole (WVU), 6-2, 4-6, 6-4

3: Gabriela Rezende (Pitt) def. Paula Goetz (WVU), 7-5, 7-5

4: Jovana Knezevic (Pitt) def. Christina Jordan (WVU), 6-2, 6-4

5: Callie Frey (Pitt) def. Lyn Yuen Choo (WVU), 6-4, 7-5

6: Clara Lucas (Pitt) def. Yvon Martinez (WVU), 6-4, 5-7, 11-9

Order of finish: Doubles 3, 1, 2 / Singles 1, 4, 5, 2, 3, 6

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