Double slam

Solid performances in both singles and doubles play allowed the UB women's tennis team to storm through the Bowling Green Invitational this past weekend.

In the tournament, which consisted of the host school Bowling Green, as well as Ferris State, Toledo, UB, Wright State, Xavier and Youngstown State, the Bulls won four of seven singles crowns and two of three doubles.

Buffalo was the top team of the tournament, winning flights two through five in singles play with little difficulty and the second and third flights of doubles play as well.

"We expected to do well, but we pretty much dominated, and Bowling Green and Toledo are rivals for us in the (Mid-American Conference)," said head coach Kathy Twist.

The Bulls' dominance was apparent in the second flight of singles play as two UB players reached the title match. UB senior Kristen Ortman defeated junior Miglena Nenova 6-1, 6-4 to take the title crown over her teammate. Ortman got there by beating Bowling Green's Andrea Volle (3-6, 7-5, 6-1) and then Toledo's Jenny Belsky in straight sets (6-2, 6-1). Nenova reached the title match by topping Youngstown State's Gina Perretti (6-4, 6-2) and then rallied back after losing her first set to beat Xavier's Jackie Villnes (3-6, 6-0, 6-2).

Buffalo could have brought home five singles titles if the teammates were separated, but despite having two players on the same court, Twist remained pleased.

"It's exciting," Twist said of having two UB players battle for the title in the second flight. "We are still a team. Either way UB is going to win."

Ortman was one of many winners on the day for the women's squad.

UB junior Katrin Fischer redeemed herself by winning the title in the third flight after falling in the title match of that exact flight in last year's Bowling Green Invitational. Fischer won the title in flight three with straight-set victories throughout, defeating Xavier's Kara Courtney (6-1, 6-2) and Bowling Green's Heidi Romer (6-2, 6-1) before capping off Xavier's Sara Potts (6-1, 6-3) to take the title.

"Katrin has worked hard. She calls me to do extra footwork and hitting. She's a different player from last year," Twist said.

Hard work paid off in this tournament for the Bulls.

Sophomore Natalie Dean took the title in the fourth flight for UB. After opening with straight-set victories over Bowling Green's Andrea Meister (6-2, 6-1) and Wright State's Jessica Lee (6-2, 6-1), Dean polished off Ferris State's Jenna O'Dell, taking the crown with a 6-1, 6-2 victory.

In the fifth flight, the Bulls continued their dominance as sophomore Tina Jacob also powered through her opponents in straight sets. Jacob started with victories over Krystle Hively (6-2, 6-1) of Youngstown State and Karina Presti-Carpenter (6-3, 6-3) of Wright State. In her title match with Bowling Green's Stepanie Menoff, Jacob was able to win the first set tiebreaker to take the set 7-6 and then took out Menoff to win the second set 6-2 with less difficulty, and took the crown in the fifth flight.

The team's easy victory, with many players winning in straight sets throughout, says a lot about the players' attitudes.

"It shows how strong we've become," Twist said of the team. "We walk away with something, win or lose. We are always walking away with 'What can we work on next?'"

Doubles play would prove much the same for the Bulls, as the combination of Nenova and Fischer took the title in the second flight. The duo knocked off the Bowling Green's combination of Heidi Romer and Kelsey Jakupcin with an 8-5 victory to take the title.

The pairing of UB sophomores Andreea Novaceanu and Tina Jacob seized the crown in the third flight of doubles play over Xavier's combo Annie Diedalis and Jeanette Fieder 8-4.

There was no team scoring and many of the consolation matches of the event were unfinished because of rain.

The UB women's tennis team looks to bottle up some of this dominance and carry it over to the Oct. 1 home opener against non-conference opponent St. Francis (Penn.) at 11 a.m. The Red Flash, after dropping their first four, won their first event this past weekend against Robert Morris University.