Bulls’ Season Comes To An End With 4-3 Marathon Loss To Western Michigan

The match lasted over five hours with three matches going in three sets

Smaranda Stan

BOWLING GREEN, OH – The University at Buffalo women’s tennis team saw their season come to an end with a 4-3 loss in the MAC Semifinals to Western Michigan on Saturday. The match lasted over five hours as three singles matches went to three sets.

The Broncos took the doubles point winning matches at first and third doubles. UB’s number two doubles team of Anna Subenkova and Aleksandra Petrova was in a dogfight at second doubles as they were tied 4-4 with Kerstin Pahl and Amanda Moccia.

Denise Harijanto

The doubles point would come back to be the difference as the Bulls and Broncos then split the six singles matches. The Broncos went up 2-0 with a victory at fourth singles, but UB won the next three matches to take the lead. Diana Popescu won her match at second singles over Jenny Nalepa, 6-3, 6-3, while Denise Harijanto also won in straight sets at number one with a 6-4, 6-0 victory at first singles. The Bulls then took their third point as senior Smaranda Stan (Sfantu Gheorghe, Romania/Economic) won in three sets, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1. The Broncos then tied it up at 3-3 with a three set victory at fifth singles to force the third straight 4-3 decision between these two teams. Unfortunately for UB the decision went in favor of Western Michigan as they picked up a three-set victory at sixth singles.

The Bulls finish their season at 14-6. They return eight players from this year’s team in 2009-10.

Diana Popescu

Western Michigan 4, Buffalo 3

Doubles:
1. Emily Dudzik/Yumi Matsuto (WMU) def. Denise Harijanto/Diana Popescu (UB), 8-6
2. Anna Subenkova/Aleksandra Petrova (UB) tied Kerstin Pahl/Amanda Moccia (WMU), 4-4
3. Jenny Nalepa/Ashley Moccia (WMU) def. Smaranda Stan/Diana Toia (UB), 8-3
Order of Finish: 3,1 (Not Finished: 2)

Singles
1. Denise Harijanto (UB) def. Kerstin Pahl (WMU), 6-4, 6-0
2. Diana Popescu (UB) def. Jenny Nalepa (WMU), 6-3, 6-3
3. Smaranda Stan (UB) def. Ashley Moccia (WMU), 3-6, 6-2, 6-1
4. Maria Nivia (WMU) def. Diana Toia (UB), 6-3, 6-2
5. Amanda Moccia (WMU) def. Aleksandra Petrova (UB), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
6. Yumi Matsuto (WMU) def. Anna Subenkova (UB), 6-4, 6-7 (3), 7-5
Order of Finish: 4,2,1,3,5,6