University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
South Dakota
Panthers Sweep Coyotes, 7-0
2/6/2009 7:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Feb. 6, 2009
Waterloo, Iowa- The University of Northern Iowa women's tennis team improved to 3-1 on the season after a 7-0 sweep over South Dakota at the Waterloo Blackhawk Tennis Club. The Coyotes fall to 0-1 after dropping their season opener. The win marks the Panthers third straight sweep of the season. All four of UNI's matches this year have ended in a 7-0 score.
"This was a good solid win," UNI head coach Sachin Kirtane said. "We took care of business, but we still need to work on playing better to be ready for UW-Milwaukee on Sunday."
The Panthers came out strong from the start outscoring the Coyotes 24-2 in doubles play. The No. 1 doubles tandem of junior Sampada Kanade and sophomore Diana Mendez got things going for the Panthers with an 8-1 win over Shadi Soleymani and Rijalda Zejnic. Sophomore Laia Gonzalez-Garrido and freshman Taynara Moraes and Jessica Kunzelmann completed the Panthers double sweep with a 8-1 win over Ashley Waltman and Isabel Nunez in the No. 3 doubles spot.
The Panthers continued its early success onto the singles play as all six Panthers cruised past their Coyote opponent. Gonzalez-Garrido, the Missouri Valley Conference Athlete of the Week, topped Soleymani in No. 1 singles, 6-1, 6-4. Kanade rolled in the No. 2 singles with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Zejinic, while Walker, Moraes and Mendez all crusied in their singles matches winning with identical, 6-0, 6-0 scores. Kunzelmann added a 6-0, 6-1 victory in No. 4 singles for the Panthers over Hagen.
The Panthers will gun for their fourth straight victory in the young 2009 season on Sunday, Feb. 8 at 10 a.m. against UW-Milwaukee at the Blackhawk Tennis Club in Waterloo.
Notes:
The Panthers are 3-0 at home this season.
UNI head coach Sachin Kirtane won his 77th career match as the Panthers head coach and now needs just six more wins to tie Pete Mazula's school record of 83 career wins.
Northern Iowa 7, South Dakota 0
Singles competition
No. 1 Laia Gonzalez-Garrido (UNI) def. Shadi Soleymani (USD) 6-1, 6-4
No. 2 Sampada Kanade (UNI) def. Rijalda Zejnic (USD) 6-0, 6-2
No. 3 Phoebe Walker (UNI) def. Isabel Nunez (USD) 6-0, 6-0
No. 4 Jessica Kunzelmann (UNI) def. Janea Hagen (USD) 6-0, 6-1
No. 5 Taynara Moraes (UNI) def. Melanie Rockne (USD) 6-0, 6-0
No. 6 Diana Mendez (UNI) def. Ashley Waltman (USD) 6-0, 6-0
Doubles competition
No. 1 Mendez/Kanade (UNI) def. Zejnic/Soleymani (USD) 8-1
No. 2 Gonzalez-Garrido/Walker (UNI) def. Hagen/ Rockne (USD) 8-0
No. 3 Moraes/Kunzelmann (UNI) def. Waltman/Nunez (USD) 8-1
Players Mentioned
