Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Colgate *
Bucknell Women's Tennis Drops First Dual Match of Year to Colgate, 5-2
3/27/2004 7:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
March 27, 2004
HAMILTON, N.Y. - The Bucknell women's tennis team lost a dual match for the first time this season, opening the league with a 5-2 defeat at Colgate. The Bison completed their fall and spring non-conference dual schedules undefeated at 9-0, but fall to 0-1 in league play with the loss.
Colgate won the doubles point over a Bison team that was at less than full strength without the services of Rheanna Gaskin. The sophomore missed the Colgate match due to a sore toe, and the reshuffling of Bison doubles teams had Chelsea Mills and Rebecca Kral falling to Jamie Maldow and Becca Smalley, 9-8(4). The Colgate duo had recently been ranked 48th in the country by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. At first doubles, Veronica Brown and Tanya Sichko lost to Chloe Lipp and Sheila Rao, 8-3, while Bucknell took one doubles match when Nadezda Curcic and Samantha Berthod knocked off Marissa Alikpala and Emily Wenink, 9-7.
Bucknell head coach Rebecca Helt said that moving the match to Colgate's indoor courts due to late-arriving spring weather in the northeast also hurt the Bison, who were the only Patriot League team ranked this week, at 65th, in the ITA team poll.
Curcic and Mills earned Bucknell's two points at second and sixth singles, respectively. Curcic beat Jackie Couture, 6-3, 6-0, while Mills won over Allison Stoloff, 6-2, 6-3. Brown lost to Alikpala at first singles, 6-2, 6-1, while Sichko fell at third singles to Maldow, 6-2, 7-6(4). Colgate also prevailed on court four, where Berthod was defeated by Lipp, 6-1, 6-3, and on court five, where Kral lost to Rao, 6-2, 6-1.
Bucknell will try for its first Patriot League victory on April 3 at Lafayette, but will have two non-conference matches this week. The Bison visit towson on Mar. 30 at 3 p.m. before hosting Mt. St. Mary's on Apr. 1 at 3:30 p.m.
DOUBLES
1) Lipp/Rao (C) def. Brown/Sichko (B),8-3
2) Berthod/Curcic (B) def. Alikpala/Emily Wenink (C),9-7
3) Maldow/Becca Smalley (C) def. Kral/Mills (B),9-8(4)
SINGLES
1) Marissa Alikpala (C) def. Veronica Brown (B),6-2, 6-1
2) Nadezda Curcic (B) def. Jackie Couture (C),6-3, 6-0
3) Jamie Maldow (C) def. Tanya Sichko (B),6-2, 7-6(4)
4) Chloe Lipp (C) def. Samantha Berthod (B),6-1, 6-3
5) Sheila Rao (C) def. Rebecca Kral (B),6-2, 6-1
6) Chelsea Mills (B) def. Allison Stoloff (C),6-2, 6-3
Team Records: Bucknell 9-1, 0-1 PL. Colgate 8-7, 1-0 PL.
