The women's tennis team had to battle illness as well as its opponents on its trip to New Jersey and Pennsylvania this weekend.
The Bulls traveled to Piscataway, N.J. to take on Amy Zhang and a very talented Rutgers tennis team. The Bulls were shorthanded, as multiple players could not participate due to the flu.
The Bulls (2-4) were unable to get any rhythm going and fell to Rutgers (4-2), 7-0.
In doubles play, senior Diana Popescu and freshman Miranda Podlas were able to keep it close against Amy Zang and Jennifer Holzberg, but lost 9-7. Sophomore Tammy Markovic and freshman Domenica Nemec came up short to Morgan Ivey and Leonora Slatnick, 8-4.
The Bulls only recorded one victory on the day when sophomore Shelby Bates and senior Adi Petrova defeated Stef Balasa and Vanessa Petrini, 8-6.
The team could not carry any momentum from the last match into singles play. Zhang defeated Popescu 6-0, 6-1. Petrova put up a fight, but fell short, losing to Holzberg 7-5, 6-3. Markovic played tough, but lost to Ivey 6-4, 6-3. Bates, Nemec (who made her spring debut), and Podlas all lost in two sets as well.
Buffalo needed to rebound quickly from the loss, as it left New Jersey to meet conference rival Temple the next day. The contest was not any easier, as the Bulls came up short, losing to Temple, 4-3. Buffalo had its chances to win, but was unable to capitalize on key moments.
In doubles play, Podlas and Popescu played well and defeated Lucie Pazderova and Elyse Steiner, 8-2.
Markovic and Nemec fell to Theresa Stangl and Christine Clermont, 8-1, while Bates and Petrova fell short against Yana Mavrina and Alicia Doms, 8-4.
Singles play was very competitive, with basically every matchup coming down to the wire. Popescu was able to come away with the hard-fought victory against Stangl 6-2, 3-6, 6-1. Podlas and Josephine Bergman went to three sets, and Podlas came out with the victory 7-6, (7-5), 6-1. Bates played well and defeated Doms 6-4, 6-2. The rest of the team fought equally as hard, but lost their matches.
Bulls head coach Kathy Twist feels that there are areas the team definitely needs to work on as it moves forward.
"We need to have quicker footwork, and be a little more powerful and crisp with our shots," Twist said. "When we are ahead, we need to keep up the pressure and close out our opponents."
The Bulls look to bounce back from this weekend on Sunday, March 6, at home to Binghamton (2-2) at 1 p.m.
E-mail: sports@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Courtesy of UB Athletics
