March 23, 2008

SYRACUSE, N.Y.--Senior Carlie Smith wins her 124th match to lift the Pitt women's tennis team to a 4-3 victory over Syracuse at the Drumlins Country Club. The Panther's win over the Orange was the program's first-ever, as the team is now 1-2 in that series. The Panthers improved to 6-6 overall and 3-1 in the Big East, while Syracuse slipped to 6-11 on the year and 4-4 in the conference.

Both of Smith's (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright) matches were dramatic and key to Pitt's victory on the day. First Smith teamed with senior leader Leah Friedman (Pittsburgh, Pa./Taylor Allderdice) in No. 3 doubles. The duo was down 6-3 in the deciding match, while Pitt had split the other two doubles matches.

Smith and Friedman then won five straight games to earn the win in sets, 8-6, and record the doubles point for Pitt.

Later in singles, the Panthers won two matches and then dropped three matches to even the score at 3-3, while Smith was still on the court playing.

After dropping the first set and down 5-2 in the second set, Smith won the set in a tiebreaker, forcing a third set. She then went ahead and won the match with a 6-4 third set.

Smith is now tied for third with Fran Davis (1994-98) on the all-time wins record with 124 victories.

Junior Kristy Borza (Beaver Area/Beaver) extended the all-time wins record to 129 in the one-point victory, after breaking the record in the shutout a day before. Borza won 6-2, 6-2 in singles and joined freshman Elizabeth Adams (Reading, Pa./Wilson) for an 8-2 win in doubles.

Sophomore Sabrina Visram (Windermere, Fla./Lake Highland Prep) was in control of No. 2 singles, as she turned in a 6-1, 6-2 victory. Visram recorded her 12th singles win on the season.

The Panthers face Carnegie Mellon on Tuesday, March 25, at 4 p.m.