March 4, 2008

LA JOLLA, Calif. - The Bowling Green State University tennis team matched the best start in school history, picking up a 7-2 win over UC San Diego Tuesday afternoon (March 4). With the win, the Falcons move to 10-0 in dual-match play this season, while the host Tritons drop to 5-4 on the year.

The Falcons' 10-0 start matches the record set by the 1973-74 squad, coached by Janet Parks.

The Brown and Orange took a one-point lead after the doubles portion of the match. The duo of senior co-captains Jenna Nussbaum and Andrea Volle picked up an 8-1 win at the second flight, while head coach Penny Dean's two sophomores, Katia Babina and Samantha Kintzel, were also 8-1 victors, winning their third-flight match.

In singles play, BGSU clinched the victory by winning five of the six matches, all in straight sets. Junior Kelsey Jakupcin was a winner at the top flight, while freshman Christine Chiricosta dropped a total of just four games in her win at the second level.

Babina and Kintzel won at flights three and four, respectively, while Nussbaum captured a flight-six victory. UCSD's lone singles win came at the fifth flight, where Taskeen Bains outlasted junior Stefanie Menoff in a three-set match.

The Falcons will look to break the record for best start to a season, and match the school mark for longest winning streak (beginning of a season or otherwise), with a Thursday match (March 6) at Cal Poly Pomona. First serve is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time (4:30 p.m. ET).

BOWLING GREEN 7, UC SAN DIEGO 2
Tuesday, March 4 - La Jolla, Calif.
SINGLES
1 - Kelsey Jakupcin (BGSU) def. Natalie Varnay 7-5, 7-6
2 - Christine Chiricosta (BGSU) def. Dalya Perelman 6-2, 6-2
3 - Katia Babina (BGSU) def. Justine Ang Fonte 6-2, 7-5
4 - Samantha Kintzel (BGSU) def. Molly Sullens 7-5, 6-2
5 - Taskeen Bains (UCSD) def. Stefanie Menoff 6-2, 1-6, 6-3
6 - Jenna Nussbaum (BGSU) def. Valerie Tang 6-3, 6-4
# - Andrea Volle (BGSU) def. Roxy Pourmirzaie 6-1, 6-1
# - Libby Harrison (BGSU) def. Rina Nakano 6-1, 6-0

DOUBLES
1 - Bains/Varnay (UCSD) def. Jakupcin/Chiricosta 9-7
2 - Nussbaum/Andrea Volle (BGSU) def. Fonte/Perelman 8-1
3 - Babina/Kintzel (BGSU) def. Sullens/Tessa Tran (UCSD) 8-1
# - Harrison/Menoff (BGSU) def. Pourmirzaie/Larkin 8-1

# exhibition; not included in match scoring