March 17, 2005
TEMPE, Ariz. - The Arizona State University women's tennis team was in action against Minnesota Thursday afternoon at the Whiteman Tennis Center in a dual that saw the Sun Devils top the Gophers, 6-1. ASU improves to 5-4 with the win, while the Gophers fall to 5-6.
ASU took the early lead over Minnesota, claiming the sweep in doubles action to take the first point of the afternoon. The Sun Devil tandem of Wendy Pilecka and Joslynn Burkett were the first off the court as they topped the Gopher team of Megan Steiger and Jenna Tllefsen on Court No. 3, 8-0. ASU's duo of Jessica Leitch and Sabrina Capannolo followed up with a win on Court No. 2 over Minnesota's Danielle Mousseau and Lindsay Risebrough, 8-1. Rounding out doubles competition was the Sun Devil team of Lauren Colalillo and Kady Pooler, who overcame the Gopher's tandem of Jane Anderson and Nischela Reddy, 8-3, on Court No. 1.
The Sun Devils didn't let up in singles action, as they took five of six singles matches to claim the victory. Starting things off for ASU in the No. 2 position was Burkett as she topped Minnesota's Anderson in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0. Next up, Pooler, playing in the No. 3 spot, downed Mousseau of Minnesota, in a two-set match, 6-2, 6-2. Sealing the victory for ASU was Colalillo, playing in the No. 6 position, as she defeated Steiger in convincing fashion, 6-0, 6-0.
In the No. 5 spot, the Sun Devils Leitch took down the Gopher's Marina Bugaenco in straight sets, 6-1, 6-0. Action in the No. 1 and No. 4 positions were sent into a third-set tiebreaker with one match going to each school. ASU's Capannolo took the early lead over Reddy in the No. 1 spot, but Reddy fought back, taking the second set and forcing a tiebreaker. Capannolo proved too strong for Reddy as she overpowered her in the third-set tiebreaker to earn the point for ASU, 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (3). In the No. 4 spot, the outcome was reversed as ASU's Pilecka won the second set, forcing a tiebreaker with the Gopher's Risebrough. The tiebreak went back and forth, with Risebrough eventually coming out on top of Pilecka, 6-2, 2-6, 1-0 (10).
The Arizona State University women's tennis team returns to action next weekend as they play host to Pac-10 foes USC and UCLA. The Sun Devils square off against the Trojans on Friday, March 25 at 1:30 p.m. and follow up with a dual against the Bruins on Saturday, March 26 at 12:00 p.m. Both contests will be held at the Whiteman Tennis Center
ASU 6, Minnesota 1
Doubles
1. Colalillo/Pooler (ASU) def. Anderson/Reddy (MINN), 8-3
2. Leitch/Capannolo (ASU) def. Mousseau/Risebrough (MINN), 8-1
3. Pilecka/Burkett (ASU) def. Steiger/Jenna Tllefsen (MINN), 8-0
Order of Finish: 3,2 ,1
Singles
1. Sabrina Capannolo (ASU def. Nischela Reddy (MINN), 6-3, 3-6, 1-0(3)
2. Joslynn Burkett (ASU) def. Jane Anderson (MINN), 6-0, 6-0
3. Kady Pooler (ASU) def. Danielle Mousseau (MINN), 6-2, 6-2
4. Lindsay Risebrough (MINN) def. Wendy Pilecka (ASU), 6-2, 2-6, 1-0 (10)
5. Jessica Leitch (ASU) def. Marina Bugaenco (MINN), 6-1, 6-0
6. Lauren Colalillo (ASU) def. Megan Steiger (MINN), 6-0, 6-0
Order of Finish: 2,3,6,5,4,1