PHILADELPHIA - On a picture perfect day at Hamlin Tennis Center, he University of Pennsylvania women's tennis team grabbed early momentum with the doubles point and sailed to a 5-2 win over Ivy League foe Brown on Friday afternoon, moving to 2-2 in conference play. The win moves Penn's overall record above .500 to 9-8 on the year.
Doubles began with a 6-3 win from
Ria Vaidya and
Lina Qostal on court two, as the duo teamed for their sixth win this spring to give Penn the early advantage. On court one,
Kana Daniel and
OJ Singh were down 4-1 early, but stormed back for an impressive 6-4 victory to clinch the 1-0 lead for the Quakers.
Luba Vazhenina and
Marta Kowalska were leading 5-4 on court three before play was suspended.
The Quakers would keep the energy rolling into singles play, as the Red and Blue claimed four of six first sets. The Bears would equal the overall match at 1-1 with a 6-2, 6-1 on court two, but almost instantly Penn surged back in front with a victory on court five as freshman
Sarah Dreyfuss defeated Brown's Katie Ta 6-4, 6-1 for the Quakers' second point of the day.
Fellow rookie
Ashley Zhu followed up Dreyfuss' win with her 11th triumph of the spring, taking down Maddie Stearns 6-3, 6-3 on court three, pushing the home squad out to a 3-1 lead. All eyes came down to courts four and six, as Qostal was in the heat of a three-set battle while Kowalska was looking to clinch the win in straight-sets. Kowalska eventually outlasted Brown's Taylor Cosme on court six 6-3, 6-4, clinching the dual-match win for Penn with a 4-1 lead. The final two matches on courts one and four were played to conclusion, with Qostal claiming a roller coaster victory over Devon Jack, pulling through a 7-5 win in the third-set tiebreak. Daniel fell short in her third-set 10-point tiebreak after fighting from a set down, making the final score 5-2 in favor of the Quakers.
Penn has no time to rest on its laurels, turning right back into action tomorrow, Saturday, April 15, hosting Yale at 1 p.m. at the Hamlin Tennis Center for Senior Day.
Penn 5, Brown 2
Doubles
Singles
1. Alyza Benotto (Brown) def.
Kana Daniel (Penn), 7-5, 4-6, 10-3
2. Dayna Lord (Brown) def.
Ria Vaidya (Penn), 6-2, 6-1
3.
Ashley Zhu (Penn) def. Maddie Stearns (Brown), 6-3, 6-3
4.
Lina Qostal (Penn) def. Devon Jack (Brown), 6-0, 2-6, 7-6(5)
Order of Finish: Doubles (2,1*), Singles (2,5,3,6*,4,1)
Records: Penn (9-8, 2-2 Ivy), Brown (11-7, 2-2 Ivy)