Bulls Zip Past Akron, 6-1

UB takes five of six singles matches

Smaranda Stan

BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo women’s tennis team closed out its regular season with a 6-1 victory over Akron on Saturday afternoon at the University Tennis Center. The Bulls swept all three doubles matches and won five of six contests in singles as they finish the regular season with a 13-5 record and a 6-2 mark in the MAC. UB will begin MAC Tournament play on Friday in Bowling Green.

The Bulls got off to a quick start to the match sweeping the doubles point. The first doubles team of Denise Harijanto and Diana Popescu won their match 8-2 over Zara Harutyunyan and Anna Baronayte. The duo has now won 10 straight matches. The Bulls then clinched the point with a win at third singles. Smaranda Stan and Diana Toia combined for an 8-4 win over Jeremie Benjamin and Lindsey Berry. Completing the sweep was the second doubles squad of Anna Subenkova and Aleksandra Petrova who won their match 8-6 over Tanyaradzwa Gombera and Carolina Castro Cota.

Diana Toia

UB continued to dominate the contest winning four singles matches in a row. Toia was the first to finish at fourth singles as she defeated Benjamin, 6-1, 6-3. Subenkova then followed at six singles with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Castro Costa. Petrova clinched the match for the Bulls at fifth singles with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Kerry Langworthy. UB was not finished though as they took a 5-0 lead with a victory at second singles from Popescu as she defeated Baronayte, 6-4, 6-2. After Akron got on the board with a victory at first singles, the match was down to third singles where Stan was facing Gombera. Stan took the first set 6-2, but Gombera forced a third set by winning the second 6-4. Stan, who was playing in her final home match, did not allow an early 4-0 deficit in the third set stop her. She charged back, and down 5-3 she went on to win the next four games for the 7-5 victory.

With the win, UB has secured the number two seed in this week’s Mid-American Conference Championships. UB will face the number seven seed in the quarterfinals on Friday afternoon as the Bulls look to defend their Mid-American Conference title.

Diana Popescu

Buffalo 6, Akron 1

Doubles:
1. Denise Harijanto/Diana Popescu (UB) def. Zara Harutyunyan/Anna Baronayte (UA), 8-2
2. Anna Subenkova/Aleksandra Petrova (UB) def. Tanyaradzwa Gombera/Carolina Castro Cota (UA), 8-6
3. Smaranda Stan/Diana Toia (UB) def. Jeremie Benjamin/Lindsey Berry (UA), 8-4
E Alyssa Carlson/Kerry Langworthy (UA) def. Jenelle Jones-Mitchell/Sonya Ivanyuk (UB), 8-0
Order of Finish: 1,3,2

Singles:
1. Zara Harutyunyan (UA) def. Denise Harijanto (UB), 6-2, 6-1
2. Diana Popescu (UB) def. Anna Baronayte (UA), 6-4, 6-2
3. Smaranda Stan (UB) def. Tanyaradzwa Gombera (UA), 6-2, 4-6, 7-5
4. Diana Toia (UB) def. Jeremie Benjamin (UA), 6-1, 6-3
5. Aleksandra Petrova (UB) def. Kerry Langworthy (UA), 6-3, 6-2
6. Anna Subenkova (UB) def. Carolina Castro Cota (UA), 6-3, 6-1
Order of Finish: 4,6,5,2,1,3