Wake Forest University
Rice
Demon Deacons Knock Off No. 53 Rice 5-2
3/11/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
March 11, 2011
HOUSTON, Texas - The Wake Forest women's tennis team finished its Spring Break swing through Texas on a high note, defeating No. 53 Rice 5-2 at Jake Hess Tennis Stadium in Houston on Friday.
The No. 75 Demon Deacons have now gone 3-1 in their last four matches, including 2-1 on the Texas trip, and hold a 5-6 overall record. Rice dropped its fourth straight match to fall to 8-7 on the year.
The Deacs were forced to battle to defeat the Owls as four of the singles matches went the full three sets, with the Wake Forest winning three of them. The entire match took over four hours.
"It's never easy when you're playing a ranked opponent like Rice on the road, but these are the type of matches that we believe we can win, and today we showed that we're capable of following through on that" said head coach Jeff Wyshner
No. 45 Martina Pavelec picked up the clinching point at No. 1 singles, outlasting No. 101 Rebekka Hanle 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. The Stuttgart, Germany native has now won five straight matches at the top position and owns a 17-6 mark this season, with seven of the wins coming against ranked opponents.
"Martina was the key to the whole match for us today," said Wyshner. "When she was able to come back to take the second set after losing the first, it took some of the pressure off of some of the other girls because it gave us multiple ways to win the match. She ended up coming through and clinching it for us, and I really can't say enough about the season that she's been having. She went 6-0 in singles and doubles on this trip against a number of good players."
Wake won the doubles point for the fourth straight match, again doing it through wins at the top two positions. Martina Pavelec and Emilee Malvehy claimed the first doubles win at No. 2, taking down Alex Rasch and Dominique Harmath 8-3. The duo hold a perfect 5-0 record this season, with wins in the last four dual matches.
After the Owls won at No. 3, No. 17 Kathryn Talbert and Kayla Duncan clinched the point at the top spot, easing by Hanle and Ana Guzman 8-4. The pair of North Carolina natives improves to 11-2 this season, including 7-2 in dual matches.
"Emilee and Martina have really clicked together," said Wyshner. "They are both tall and very strong. With the strength of Kathryn and Kayla at No. 1, and now Emilee and Martina at No. 2, it is going to be very hard for other teams to take the doubles point from us."
Rice's Kim Anicete won 6-1, 6-1 over Anna Mydlowska at No. 6 to even the score at 1-1, but Talbert answered back with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Harmath at No. 2 to put the Demon Deacons back in the lead.
"Kathryn was great for us," said Wyshner. "She's had some tough singles losses recently, so I was very happy to see her come out today and get a win that she deserved."
The other four singles matches would go to three sets. Ryann Cutillo was first off the court, topping Rasch 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 at No. 5 singles to put the Deacs on the verge of clinching at 3-1. Cutillo has rebounded from a slow start to the spring to win four straight singles matches, improving to 11-8 overall.
After Daniella Trigo pulled a point back for the Owls with a win over Duncan at No. 4, Pavelec finished off Hanle at the top spot to secure victory for Wake Forest.
In the final match on the court, No. 118 Malvehy held off Jessica Jackson 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 at No. 4 singles.
The Demon Deacons will return to Winston-Salem for a pair of home matches next weekend. Wake will host No. 49 William & Mary Saturday and No. 6 North Carolina Sunday. Both matches are set to begin at noon.
For up-to-the minute Wake Forest tennis news, follow the Deacs on Twitter @WakeTennis or twitter.com/WakeTennis
#75 Wake Forest 5, #53 Rice 2
Singles 1. #45 Martina Pavelec (WF) def. #101 Rebekka Hänle (RICE) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
2. Kathryn Talbert (WF) def. Dominique Harmath (RICE) 6-3, 6-3
3. #118 Emilee Malvehy (WF) def. Jessica Jackson (RICE) 7-6, 3-6, 6-4
4. Daniella Trigo (RICE) def. Kayla Duncan (WF) 6-4, 0-6, 6-4
5. Ryann Cutillo (WF) def. Alex Rasch (RICE) 6-2, 2-6, 6-2
6. Kim Anicete (RICE) def. Anna Mydlowska (WF) 6-1, 6-1
Doubles
1. #17 Kayla Duncan/Kathryn Talbert (WF) def. Rebekka Hänle/Ana Guzman (RICE) 8-4
2. Martina Pavelec/Emilee Malvehy (WF) def. Alex Rasch/Dominique Harmath (RICE) 8-3
3. Daniella Trigo/Jessica Jackson (RICE) def. Ryann Cutillo/Brigita Bercyte (WF) 8-4
Match Notes:
Wake Forest 5-6; National ranking #75
Rice 8-7; National ranking #53
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1*); Singles (6,2,5,4,1*,3)
Players Mentioned
