ITHACA, N.Y. — The women's tennis team defeated Penn State for the first time in 10 all-time meetings, doing so in dominating fashion on Saturday with a 4-0 victory at Reis Tennis Center.
Cornell (6-4), which was recently tabbed as 62nd in the country by Slam.Tennis, won the doubles point despite Penn State (3-7) taking the No. 3 match. Senior
Marika Cusick and
Alexandra D'Ascenzo won at No. 1 to put the opening point in the hands of the No. 2 team of senior
Priyanka Shah and sophomore
Mariko Iinuma, and the Big Red tandem prevailed, 7-5.
D'Ascenzo then started singles play with a love-love win at No. 2 to double the Cornell lead. Junior
Madison Stevens then wrapped up a tidy victory at No. 6, leading to junior
Lizzie Stewart's clinch at No. 4 in straight sets. The Big Red had also won the first set in two of the unfinished matches, with the other match progressing into a third set.
Cornell wraps up its busy home weekend with a Sunday doubleheader at Reis. The Big Red takes on Stony Brook at 10 a.m., then tangles with Niagara at 2 p.m. Both matches are free to attend and open to the public.
CORNELL 4, PENN STATE 0
Singles
1.
Marika Cusick (C) vs. #81 Katia Blik, DNF (2-6, 6-3, 0-1)
2.
Alexandra D'Ascenzo (C) def. Devan McCluskey, 6-0, 6-0
3.
Priyanka Shah (C) vs. Dasha Sapogova, DNF (6-4, 3-4)
4.
Lizzie Stewart (C) def. Samantha Smith, 6-3, 6-3
5.
Mariko Iinuma (C) vs. Shannon Hanley, DNF (6-0, 5-4)
6.
Madison Stevens (C) def. Bennett Dunn, 6-1, 6-3
Doubles
1. Cusick/D'Ascenzo (C) def. Dunn/Sapogova, 6-3
2. Iinuma/Shah (C) def. Hanley/McCluskey, 7-5
3. Blik/Smith (PSU) def. Stevens/
Michelle Wang, 6-3
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2), Singles (2,6,4)