Marshall University Athletics
Herd Tennis Topples Virginia Tech, 7-0
4/7/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Herd Tennis Topples Virginia Tech, 7-0
4/7/2005
Senior Joelle Good picked up her 86th career singles win at No. 3 singles against Virginia Tech. Photo by Matt Riley |
BLACKSBURG, Va. ? For the Thundering Herd tennis team, 7-0, is becoming a common trend. Thursday in non-conference action at Virginia Tech, Marshall picked up its fourth straight shutout win as it handled the Hokies of the Atlantic Coast Conference in dominant fashion at the Burrows-Burrelson Tennis Center.
?We knew Virginia Tech was a little beat up, but we knew they would compete hard,? Marshall head coach John Mercer said. ?We knew doubles would be tough, fortunately we got some momentum from doubles heading into singles and were able to carry it through to the end.?
With the win, Marshall improves to 11-7 overall and the Hokies fall to 7-13 on the year. The Herd returns to Mid-American Conference action tomorrow at 1 p.m. when it plays host to the Miami RedHawks.
The Herd picked up the doubles point with wins at No. 1 and 3. Joelle Good (Zurich, Switzerland) and partner Danielle Hock (Wigan, England) were 8-5 victors at No. 1 over Ashley James and Kate Harrington. On court three, Lille Nzudie (Duoala, Cameroon) and Shannon Brown (Overland Park, Kan.) defeated Meredith Holmes and Julia Facchina, 8-1, to clinch the doubles point.
In singles, senior All-American Ashley Kroh (Louisville, Ky.), the defending MAC Player of the Week, continued her impressive play at No. 1 with a win over the 119th ranked player in the country, Anat Elazari, 6-0, 6-4. Kroh has now won 12 consecutive singles matches and has knocked off two ranked opponents in the last two weeks.
Nzudie was victorious 7-5, 6-3 at No. 2 over Ashley James in the closest match of the day. The Herd cruised through the rest of the singles matches on its way to the 7-0 win. Good was a 6-2, 6-2 win over Bethan James on court three, while Hock was victorious 6-1, 6-2 in the No. 4 spot. Jeanne Schwartz (West Palm Beach, Fla.) rolled to a 6-1, 6-0 win at No. 5 and her freshman counterpart, Brown, notched a 6-0, 6-2 win to finish it out for the Herd.
Marshall, ranked No. 67 in the nation, will now turn its attention to MAC play for the rest of the season. Friday?s match against Miami will play a large factor in determining seeding at the top for the MAC Tournament at the end of April. Miami and Marshall are both 3-1 in conference play.
?We?re looking forward to playing Miami,? Mercer said. ?They?ve been having a really good year and I?m sure they?re coming in with confidence. It?s always been a good rivalry between the two teams and hopefully it?ll be an exciting match tomorrow.?
RESULTS: Marshall at Virginia Tech
DOUBLES
No. 1 ? Hock/Good def. A. James/Harrington 8-5
No. 2 ? Elazari/B. James def. Kroh/Schwartz 8-3
No. 3 ? Nzudie Brown def. Holmes/Facchina 8-1
SINGLES
No. 1 ? Kroh def. #119 Anat Elazari 6-0, 6-4
No. 2 ? Nzudie def. A. James 7-5, 6-3
No. 3 ? Good def. B. James 6-2, 6-2
No. 4 ? Hock def. Harrington 6-1, 6-2
No. 5 ? Schwartz def. Holmes 6-1, 6-0
No. 6 ? Brown def. Facchina 6-0, 6-2
