Rice University
Penn
Penn Fights Off Rice
3/12/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Seventh ranked Texas Tech up next Owls Fall to Penn
By Chuck Pool (cpool@rice.edu)
Solomiya Zinko remained unbeaten with a three-set win and Katherine Ip and AIison Ho picked up straight sets wins, but the Rice women's tennis team could not overcome the loss of the doubles point and fell to Penn 4-3 at the George R. Brown Tennis Center on Saturday.
The Quakers, who snapped a three-match losing streak on their spring break trip through Texas, fought back from early deficits on courts one and two in doubles to grab the key opening point and then held off a Rice rally in singles to improve to 6-5. The 55th ranked Owls dropped to 7-4.
"It's a tough, stinging loss because much like a couple of other matches, we felt like we had our chances," Rice head coach Elizabeth Schmidt said. "We need to be able to step up and finish. When our opponents show resilience we have to show some of our own. Every day is an opportunity to grow. We didn't get the win, but we can learn from it and get back out there tomorrow."
Ip and Ho gave the Owls a 2-1 lead with straight set wins on courts two and four and Zinko's early success on court six allowed them to split the opening singles sets. After Penn tied it up with a win on four, Savannah Durkin and Lindsey Hodge forced third sets on courts five and one to keep the Owls hopes for a win alive.
Those hopes were dashed as Penn rebounded to take both courts and clinch the match.
Zinko shook off a second set loss to run her dual unbeaten streak to 18 matches. She is 13-0 over that stretch, including an 8-0 mark this spring.
The Owls will face a stern test on Sunday as they host seventh-ranked Texas Tech at the GRBTC at 11 a.m. The Red Raiders have reached the top ten for the first time in program history and have won the last three duals with the Owls.
First serves are set for 11 a.m.
Tennis Match Results
Penn vs Rice
3/12/2016 at Houston, TX
(George R. Brown Tennis Center)
Penn 4, #55 Rice 3
Singles competition
1. Kana Daniel (PENN) def. Lindsey Hodge (RICE) 6-4, 1-6, 6-4
2. Katherine Ip (RICE) def. Ria Vaidya (PENN) 6-1, 6-1
3. Lina Qostal (PENN) def. Emily Smith (RICE) 7-5, 7-5
4. Alison Ho (RICE) def. Marta Kowalska (PENN) 6-1, 6-4
5. OJ Singh (PENN) def. Savannah Durkin (RICE) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
6. Solomiya Zinko (RICE) def.Luba Vazhenina (PENN) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. Sonya Latycheva/Kana Daniel (PENN) def. Emily Smith/Katherine Ip (RICE) 6-4
2. Ria Vaidya/Marta Kowalska (PENN) def. Solomiya Zinko/Lindsey Hodge (RICE) 6-4
3. Savannah Durkin/Alison Ho (RICE) def. Lina Qostal/Luba Vazhenina (PENN) 6-1
Match Notes:
Penn 6-5
Rice 7-4; National ranking #55
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (2,4,3,5,1,6)
T-3:14
Players Mentioned
