Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Tennis Hosts Pitt Saturday
2/12/2010 7:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Feb. 12, 2010
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell women's tennis will host its first match of the so-called spring season, welcoming Pittsburgh to its home courts on Saturday. Despite the snow outside, the Bison and Panthers will face off indoors at the West Branch Tennis Club in Williamsport, Pa., with play beginning at 10 a.m. Both squads will be looking for their first win of the spring.
ABOUT THE BISON
- Tania Varela (Quito, Ecuador/Alliance Academy) takes a four-match singles winning streak to Bethlehem after winning the Flight A singles draw at the Cornell Invitational two weeks ago. With the title, the senior improved her singles record to 12-5 on the year, giving her the most singles wins on the team. Varela's success also earned her Patriot League Player of the Month accolades on Feb. 4.
- Jennie Ciotti (Wayne, Pa./Conestoga) and Daria Tuzhikova (Minsk, Belarus/Gymnasium No. 7) have already seen Pitt once this season, facing Gabrielle Catanzariti and Karma Parbhu in doubles at the Eastern Championships in September. The Panthers claimed the win, 8-4.
- Varela is the only Bison with more than 100 career wins. In nearly four years, she has a combined singles and doubles record of 111-53. Lauren Lucido (Woodstock, Md./St. Paul's School for Girls) is next in line with a career tally of 94-44.
- Several Bison are still looking for their first victory of the spring season, as only five players have been put a notch in the wins column through the first couple of weeks of competition. Varela has four singles victories, all coming at the Cornell Invitational last weekend, and Carlin Calcaterra (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central) and Courtney Casey (Rockville, Md./Georgetown Visitation) each have one win in singles. Dumitrita Iepuras (Chisinau, Moldova/Germantown Friends School) and Tuzhikova have teamed up for a doubles victory at Penn State.
- One more doubles win for Dara Dwojewski (Chester, N.J./West Morris Mendham) will move her into the top 20 all-time at Bucknell. The junior is 27-31 in doubles for her career. Another doubles win for Calcaterra (44-50) will place her in the top 10 on the program's record list.
ABOUT THE PANTHERS
- Bucknell has a slim edge over Pittsburgh, leading 13-10 in the all-time series that began in 1981. The last time the Bison defeated the Panthers was in 2005 by a score of 4-3. Nada Curcic and Veronica Brown led the way for Bucknell, claiming two wins each, first as a pair at No. 1 doubles and then at first and second singles.
- When Bucknell and Pitt met last year, the Panthers pulled out the 4-3 win in a match that could have gone either way. Varela, Dwojewski and Iepuras each earned straight-set singles victories. Dwojewski and Ashley Globerman also won at third doubles.
- Pitt's first two matches this spring have been postponed or canceled due to snow. The Panthers were originally scheduled to play Maryland and West Virginia to kick off the second leg of their season.
- The Panthers return Elizabeth Adams for her junior season in 2009-10. Adams was named the team's MVP and earned Pitt's first-ever All-BIG EAST selection last year with a 22-6 singles record and a 25-9 tally in doubles.
LOOKING AHEAD
Bucknell will have a week off before hosting Duquesne at the West Branch Tennis Club in Williamsport, Pa., on Saturday, Feb. 20. The men's squad will also take on Duquesne, with action starting at 1 p.m.
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