Women's Tennis Can't Keep up with Pirates

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla.—The Barry women’s tennis team simply found themselves in too big of a hole after losing all the doubles matches to the #1 Armstrong Atlantic Pirates and eventually dropped the match 5-0 in the quarterfinals of the NCAA DII Women’s Tennis Championships on Thursday.

The top doubles teams concluded their match first with an 8-0 win for the Pirates. Armstrong’s #2 team of Alida Muller-Wehlau and Martina Beckmann defeated the Bucs #3 team Barbi Pocza and Yulia Kashelkina in short order. The last time these two doubles team met exactly two months ago, Armstrong barely won 9-8 (7-5).

Finishing next was the third doubles flight. Berit Peterson and Mia Fiocca fell to the #23 Pirates team of Tina Ronel and Kathleen Henry 8-3.

Lastly, in doubles, after taking a 2-0 lead Julie Stas and Angie Werschel dropped the match 8-3 to #7 Gabriella Kovacs and Sona Novakova.

It was the bottom of the Buccaneer lineup that fell first to the undefeated Pirates. Peterson lost her first set 6-2 then lost the second set 6-0 to #49 Kathleen Henry. Shortly after Peterson’s loss, Fiocca was dealt a 6-2, 6-3 defeat by Armstrong’s #27 Martina Beckmann.

Barry finishes the year with an impressive 24-4 record after rolling through a tough conference schedule with a perfect 8-0 mark. However, the future is bright for the Bucs. Their top two players return for next year and several other key players become eligible for play by next Spring.

Tennis Match Results
Barry vs Armstrong Atlantic
05/13/2010 at Altamonte Springs, Fla.
(Sanlando Park)

#1 Armstrong Atlantic 5, #2 Barry 0

Singles competition
1. #1 Sona Novakova (AASU) vs. #5 Barbi Pocza (BUW) 3-6, 0-1, unfinished
2. #4 Alida Muller-Wehlau (AASU) vs. #12 Angie Werschel (BUW) 6-1, 5-0, unfinished
3. #21 Tina Ronel (AASU) vs. Yulia Kashelkina (BUW) 6-4, 3-0, unfinished
4. #23 Gabriella Kovacs (AASU) vs. Caroline Wendling (BUW) 6-2, 2-3, unfinished
5. #27 Martina Beckmann (AASU) def. Mia Fiocca (BUW) 6-2, 6-0
6. #49 Kathleen Henry (AASU) def. Berit Peterson (BUW) 6-2, 6-0

Doubles competition
1. #2 Martina Beckmann/Alida Muller-Wehlau (AASU) def. #3 Barbi Pocza/Yulia Kashelkina (BUW) 8-0
2. #7 Gabriella Kovacs/Sona Novakova (AASU) def. Julie Stas/Angie Werschel (BUW) 8-3
3. #23 Tina Ronel/Kathleen Henry (AASU) def. Mia Fiocca/Berit Peterson (BUW) 8-3

Match Notes:
Barry 24-4; National ranking #2
Armstrong Atlantic 30-0; National ranking #1
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (6,5)
2010 NCAA Division II Women's Championship
Quarterfinal
Match 9