Freshman Andreea Novaceanu claimed a singles titile and added a doubles title to lead the UB women's tennis team at the Bowling Green Invitational last weekend.
Novaceanu beat Bowling Green's Susie Schoenberger in three sets, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. Novaceanu also teamed up with classmate Tina Jacob to take home the second flight doubles title over competition from Bowling Green University on Sunday, edging out Cam Benjamin and Ashley Jakupcin, 9-7.
The team concluded Saturday, the first day of competition at the BGU tournament, with few players reaching the final day of competition. There was no team scoring at the tournament.
On Saturday, six individual and six doubles teams were divided into nine different flights. Each flight was also divided into two different groups (brown and orange). These groups were made up of three singles or doubles teams competing in a round-robin type match with the winner of each group being paired into the championships to be played on Sunday.
Playing in the "orange" group, Buffalo's Miglena Nenova lost her first match 6-3, 6-2, to Bowling Green's Schoenberger. However, this wasn't the first time these two have played each other head-to-head. In a match last season, it was Nenova who scored the victory over Schoenberger, winning in straight sets. In Nenova's second match, she defeated Kristen Clary of Xavier, 7-6, (7-3), 6-3.
Novaceanu made an impact against her opponents in the first flight of singles action. She got off to a strong start, scoring a 7-6, (7-4), 6-2 win over Ferris State's Molly Basha. Later, she went on to dominate Xavier's Lauren Clary, 6-2, 6-1.
Novaceanu's two victories Saturday placed the young Bull into Sunday's finals against Schoenberger, where she was successful, winning her match 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 to claim the singles crown.
Playing in the "brown" group, UB sophomore Katrin Fisher came out of the third flight with two seemingly easy victories. In her first match, Fischer flew by Marie Caujolle of Indiana State, 6-2, 6-3. She then "double-bageled" Allison Halbert of Ferris State 6-0, 6-0 to reach the finals. Fisher ultimately lost to Xavier's Emily Tuchscherer on Sunday, falling by a score of 7-6 (7-4), 6-4.
UB's Jacob, another talented freshman on the Bulls' roster, had a rough day and was defeated by Tuchscherer as well, falling 6-3, 6-3. For Jacob, this loss was not the only loss she suffered on the day as she went on to record a defeat at the hands of Bowling Green's Andrea Volle, 6-1, 7-6 (8-6).
Novaceanu and Jacob combined to form a victorious doubles team for the Bulls, playing in the second flight of the doubles competition. The duo scored an 8-5 victory over Volle Nussbaum and Jenna Nussbaum of Bowling Green and an 8-6 victory over Basha and Halbert of Ferris State in the "orange" group on Saturday.
Continuing on Sunday, the team of Novaceanu and Jacob went on to claim the doubles crown in second flight doubles competition with a 9-7 victory over of Bowling Green's Jakupcin and Benjamin.
The UB women's tennis team will return to action this Saturday when they host St. Francis (Pa.) at 9 a.m.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
