Rutgers University
University of Pittsburgh
Rutgers Tennis Drops 4-3 Contest to Pitt
Mar 10 | Women's Tennis
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (March 10, 2013) - The Rutgers women's tennis team fell to Pitt, 4-3, in Pittsburgh, Pa., Sunday. The Scarlet Knights won the doubles point before winning two singles matches.
Led by 10th-year head coach Benjamin Bucca, RU fell to 6-4 on the season and 3-1 in BIG EAST play. The Panthers improved to 5-6 and 1-2 in conference matchups.
Rutgers started off strong, as the tandem of junior Vanessa Petrini (Samford, Conn.) and freshman Gina Li (Hillsborough, N.J.) won the first doubles contest over Taylor Washington and Jocelyn Lu of Pitt, 8-4. The two improved to 6-2 as a team in 2013 and 3-0 in conference matchups.
After dropping the second match, junior Stefania Balasa (East Brunswick, N.J.) and sophomore Lindsay Balsamo (Wall, N.J.) downed Panthers Kimmy Borza and Karma Parbhu, 8-4, to secure the doubles point.
In singles play, Li and sophomore Noor Judeh (Potomac, Md.) each earned points for the Scarlet Knights. Li defeated Lu (6-0, 6-3) in the No. 2 matchup to give her eight wins, the most of any Rutgers player this season. She is 4-0 in league play. Judeh followed that up three contests later by downing Parbhu, 6-1, 6-4. Pitt recorded the other four victories in singles play to secure the match.
Rutgers returns to action at home, taking on non-conference opponent Houston at noon on Wednesday, March 13.
Pitt 4, Rutgers 3
Singles
No. 1: Taylor Washington (Pitt) def. Vanessa Petrini (RU), 6-3, 7-5
No. 2: Gina Li (RU) def. Jocelyn Lu (Pitt), 6-0, 6-3
No. 3: Kimmy Borza (Pitt) def. Lindsey Kayati (RU), 1-6, 6-1, 6-3
No. 4: Amanda Wickman (Pitt) def. Mariam Zein (RU), 2-6, 7-5, 6-3
No. 5: Noor Judeh (RU) def. Karma Parbhu (Pitt), 6-1, 6-4
No. 6: Molly Wickman (Pitt) def. Lindsay Balsamo (RU), 6-4, 6-1
Doubles
No. 1: Petrini/Li (RU) def. Washington/Lu (Pitt), 8-4
No. 2: Wickman/Wickman (Pitt) def. Kayati/Zein (RU), 8-3
No. 3: Stefania Balasa/Balsamo (RU) def. Borza/Parbhu (Pitt), 8-4
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