Huskies Defeat Ashland 7-0 in GLIAC Opener
HOUGHTON, Mich. – The Michigan Tech women's tennis team recorded a 7-0 victory over Ashland University Saturday morning in the 2018 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference season opener at the Gates Tennis Center. The Huskies set the tone with a point in doubles and then swept all six singles contests on their way to the win.
"Overall, I liked how we played today against an improved Ashland team," Michigan Tech Head Coach Kevin Kalinec said. "It was a great way to start the GLIAC season and I'm proud of the effort from our players. Anabella [Neri] made a great comeback in her singles win after a slow start in the first set. Between sets one and two, she made a key strategy change and that helped her really turned things around. We need to do a little better job in doubles play, but once again it was a great start as we get ready to face Wayne State tomorrow."
Senior Vicky Quinde and freshman Samantha Johnson recorded the first doubles win on Saturday for Michigan Tech (2-0, 1-0 GLIAC), pulling past the duo of Brianna Brdicka and Larissa Wieser 6-2 in No. 2 doubles. Shortly thereafter, the Huskies clinched the doubles point when sophomore Ivona Gorgioski and Jessica Brown claimed a 6-3 win over Gabriella Hudec and Anna Hart in the No. 1 spot. Tech was victorious in No. 3 doubles as well on Saturday, thanks to a 6-4 decision by freshman Mirna Golac and junior Anabella Neri over Camille Ringot and Huntyr Lake of Ashland (1-2, 0-1 GLIAC).
Brown picked up right where she left off from a strong ITA performance last weekend, securing Saturday's first singles point in the No. 2 spot in the lineup with an impressive 6-1, 6-0 win over Brdicka. Gorgioski anchored the No. 1 position in the lineup and dominated in her singles contest as well, topping Hudec 6-1, 6-1. Johnson then clinched the final outcome by locking down the all-important fourth point in No. 3 singles. Johnson was able to outlast Ringot 6-3, 6-3 on Saturday.
Michigan Tech went on to claim the other three possible singles points on the way to the sweep. Quinde was able to slip past Hart 6-2, 7-5 at the No. 4 spot while Golac was victorious over Hazuki Ogino 6-2, 6-4 in No. 5 singles. Neri was penciled into the No. 6 spot in Saturday's lineup and posted a come from behind three set victory. Neri dropped the first set 4-6, but bounced back on the strength of her strategy change to claim a 6-1 win in set two. With the momentum on her side, Neri pulled away in the third and decisive set for a 10-2 result.
The Huskies, who are 2-0 overall to begin the season, will be back on the court Sunday morning when they host Wayne State in another GLIAC match at the Gates Tennis Center beginning at 10 a.m.
