Tennis Matthew Kifer, Sports Information Director

Vulcans win three matches in dual play

Box Score vs. Shippensburg
Box Score vs. East Stroudsburg
Box Score vs. Bloomsburg

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. (Oct. 9) – The California University of Pennsylvania tennis team opened the dual match portion of its schedule in dominating fashion, claiming a trio of 9-0 victories against Shippensburg, East Stroudsburg and host Bloomsburg over the weekend.

The Vulcans began the weekend with an overpowering 9-0 win against the Red Raiders on Saturday morning, losing only one game in the nine matches. Senior Annabel Pieschl (Gothenburg, Sweden/Katrinelund) and junior Jade Pondicas (Johannesburg, South Africa/British International Distance), an All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West doubles team last year, claimed an 8-0 victory at first doubles over Lisa Snader and Cassie Sidone. At the second slot, senior Anastassiya Zherdeva (Almaty, Kazakhstan/Gumnasia Number 60) and freshman Ramona Czakon (Trier, Germany) posted an 8-0 win while newcomers Jolien Borrenberghs (Hasselt, Belgium) and Livia Pap (Budapest, Hungary/Szent Margit)  earned an 8-0 victory at third doubles.

The reigning PSAC West Athlete of the Year, Pieschl dealt Sidone a 6-0, 6-0 defeat at first singles. Pondicas, Zherdeva, senior Mariana Oliveira (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Martha Falcao) and Pap also tallied 6-0, 6-0 victories against Shippensburg. Czakon added a 6-1, 6-0 win over Laura Babetski at the fourth position.

In the second match on Saturday, Cal U claimed a 9-0 victory against East Stroudsburg after losing five games in nine matches. The doubles teams of Pieschl and Pondicas and Borrenberghs and Oliveira each recorded 8-0 wins, while Czakon and Zherdeva tallied an 8-2 win at the second position.

Pieschl, Czakon, Oliveira and Pap all posted 6-0, 6-0 victories in singles play versus the Warriors. Pondicas finished with a 6-1, 6-1 win at the second slot and Zherdeva earn a 6-1, 6-0 victory at the third position.

The Vulcans concluded the weekend with a 9-0 win on Sunday morning over Bloomsburg, who finished 14-5 overall last season. At first doubles, Pondicas and Pieschl claimed an 8-3 victory over Michelle Perez and Emily Palko, while Zherdeva and Czakon dealt an 8-0 defeat at the second position to Julie Seidel and Danielle Walsh. Oliveria and Borrenberghs finished doubles play with an 8-1 win against Natalie Greenholt and Alyssa Liples.

Cal U again won all six matches in singles play, winning each in straight sets. Czakon earned her team-leading 11th singles victory after posting a 6-0, 6-1 win at the fourth position and Pap remains undefeated in singles this year after claiming a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Nicole Slagel at the sixth slot.

The Vulcans conclude their fall schedule on Oct. 13-16 when seniors Martina Rubesova (Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic) and Franziska Steinhardt (Bad Lausick, Germany/St. Augustin Gymnasium) compete at the ITA National Championships in Mobile, Ala.

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