• Box Score vs. No. 29 Slippery Rock
• Box Score vs. Mercyhurst

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. (April 2) – The No. 12 Vulcans opened Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play with a pair of 5-0 victories on Thursday, defeating No. 29 Slippery Rock University and league-newcomer Mercyhurst College.

With the victories, the California University of Pennsylvania tennis team improves to 14-2 overall and 2-0 in league play.

The match against The Rock (14-3, 0-1) featured the two top teams in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Atlantic Region. The Vulcans are the top-ranked team in the regional rankings followed by The Rock.

Cal U jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in doubles action, losing only two games in the three matches. Graduate student Helena VanEysendeyk (Meythet, France/Zurich International) and freshman Alina Stanila (Alexandria, Romania/Technical) – the top-rated doubles team in the region – opened with an 8-0 win over senior Kayla Blackburn and junior Jessica Hilborn. Freshman Axelle Fernandez (Nice, France/Institut Familial) and sophomore Nina Kowalski (Hofheim, Germany/Man Taunus) defeated The Rock's Chelsea Gibson and Laura Handy by an 8-1 count at the second slot. Freshman Anastassiya Zherdeva (Almaty, Kazakhstan) teamed up with sophomore Galina Vishnikina (Almaty, Kazakhstan/Sport Military) for an 8-0 win at No. 3 doubles over senior Lara Rizzi and junior Casey Runyan.

The Vulcans clinched the match with wins in singles play from Kowalski and Zherdeva. Kowalski, the sixth-ranked singles player in the region, defeated Gibson by a 6-2, 6-1 count at the No. 4 position. Zherdeva added a 6-3, 6-0 victory against Rizzi at the fifth slot.

Against the Lakers, Cal U again swept doubles play and added two wins in singles action to earn its fifth-straight win. VanEysendeyk and Stanila posted an 8-0 win at No. 1 doubles, while Fernandez and Kowalski earned an 8-2 victory over sophomore Kim Ezzo and freshman Courtney Conway at the second slot. Freshman Mariana Oliveira (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Martha Falcao) and Vishnikina completed the sweep in doubles play with an 8-0 win at the No. 3 position.

Stanila registered her team-best 23rd win of the season in singles play after dealing senior Jaclyn McLean a 6-0, 6-0 defeat at the second slot. Zherdeva picked up a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 5 singles against sophomore Kelton Macke.

Cal U was scheduled to resume play tomorrow, Friday, April 3, against Shippensburg University, but the match has been postponed due to heavy rain in the weather forecast. The Vulcans are now scheduled to continue PSAC West action on Saturday, April 4, with a road match against Clarion University.