• Box Score

GRANVILLE, Ohio (Feb. 11) – Facing the fifth-ranked ranked team in NCAA Division III, the No. 8 California University of Pennsylvania tennis team won four of six singles matches on Friday evening to earn a 6-3 victory over Denison (Ohio).

With the win, the Vulcans improve to 7-1 overall this season with a 3-1 mark during the spring campaign. The match marked the season-opener for the Big Red, who advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament and finished 18-5 last year.

Cal U took an early 2-1 lead by winning two doubles matches on Friday. Juniors Annabel Pieschl (Gothenburg, Sweden/Katrinelund) and Franziska Steinhardt (Bad Lausick, Germany/St. Augustin Gymnasium) suffered an 8-5 loss at first doubles to Denison's Erin Chadwell and Kristin Cobb. At the second position, juniors Axelle Fernandez (Toulouse, France/Institut Familial) and Anastassiya Zherdeva (Almaty, Kazakhstan/Gumnasia Number 60) claimed an 8-3 victory over Jane Lent and Alex Marcell. Senior Laurie Navarro (Eysus, France/Jules Supervielle) and sophomore Jade Pondicas (Johannesburg, South Africa/British International Distance) dealt Kelsey Geppner and Sarah Short an 8-6 defeat at third doubles.

Pieschl, the No. 20 singles player in the country, recorded a 6-1, 6-0 win over Cobb at first singles, while Steinhardt posted a straight-set victory at the second slot over Chadwell, 6-0, 6-3. Zherdeva fell to Short in third singles by a 7-5, 6-1 margin.

At the fourth position, No. 42 Pondicas rallied to a three-set victory against Marcell, 0-6, 6-3, 6-2. Fernandez collected a 6-2, 7-6 win over the Big Red's Kate Westenberger at the fifth singles, while regionally-ranked Geppner topped Navarro at the sixth position, 6-1, 6-2.

The Vulcans return to action tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 12, when they face Carnegie Mellon, another Top 10 team in NCAA Division III, at Glen Creek Racquet Club in South Park, Pa.