ITHACA, N.Y. – The women's tennis team returns to Reis Tennis Center this weekend to play host to Akron in a non-league match at 11 a.m. Saturday.
 
Cornell (4-3) has won its last two matches by identical 5-2 scores, defeating Fairleigh Dickinson on March 2 in the squad's last home match before taking to the road for a victory last Saturday at West Virginia. Freshman Alexandra D'Ascenzo is a team-best 6-1 in singles play, sharing the Nos. 2 and 3 positions in the order with classmate Marika Cusick (5-2). Both of them are on three-match winning streaks, while senior Shannon Comolli has dominated in her last two singles matches from the lower portion of the order.
 
Akron (9-4) started off its spring season with six consecutive victories, but has won three of seven since. The Zips split last weekend's doubleheader at their home facility against Butler (a 6-1 victory) and Duquesne (a 4-3 loss). Akron's No. 1 doubles team of junior Olga Shkundina and freshman Shannon Newnes is 7-2 on the season. Shkundina is also 7-4 in singles from the top two positions. Karolina Maksimava (7-6) has competed as low as fifth in the singles order, but has been at the No. 1 spot for her last five matches.
 
The Big Red and Zips have never officially for a dual match before, but the teams were able to size each other up in October at the Akron Invitational. Cornell won five of six singles matches against Akron players at the event – including victories from Cusick and junior Lauren Frazier – in addition to sweeping all three doubles matches between the squads.