NORFOLK, Va. – The Old Dominion women's tennis team opened its 2022 spring schedule on Sunday morning with an impressive 7-0 win over Penn State inside the Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center.
"What a great start to the season for the Monarchs," said ODU head coach Dominic Manilla. "We enjoy setting the bar high for ourselves and I am very excited for the challenges that are quickly approaching us in the next couple of weeks.
In doubles, the Monarchs took all three matches for the team point. Tatsiana Sasnouskaya and Alesya Yakubovich won at No. 1 doubles 6-0, while Yuliia Starodubtseva and Alexandra Viktorovich won 6-2 at No. 2. Marina Alcaide and Shahar Biran finished the doubles sweep winning 6-3 at No. 3.
The match was clinched by a win at No. 2 singles from Sasnouskaya who scored a 6-4, 6-2 triumph over Gabrielle O'Gorman to put ODU up 4-0. While the nail-biter of the match went to the top singles spot where Starodubtseva picked up a three-set win over Sofiya Chekhlystova. After dropping the first set 6-2, Starodubtseva rallied back to win the second 6-0 and the third in a 10-8 tie-breaker.
Other wins in the opening match were by Alcaide at No. 3 (7-5, 6-3), Viktorovich at No. 4 (6-0, 6-1), Yakubovich at No. 6 (6-3, 6-0) and Sofia Johnson at No. 5 (6-4, 6-3).
The win marked the 26th straight home regular season win for the Monarchs dating back to a March 9, 2018 loss to Virginia Tech 4-3. Ironically the next home match for ODU will be Virginia Tech on Feb. 18.
Old Dominion's next match however will be in the ITA Kickoff Weekend event at Georgia Tech when they'll face the host Yellow Jackets on January 29. They'll face either Michigan or Ole Miss on January 30 in Atlanta.
ODU 7, Penn State 0
DOUBLES
Tatsiana Sasnouskaya/Alesya Yakubovich (ODU) def. Alexandra Nielsen/Karly Friedland 6-0
Yuliia Starodubtseva/Alexandra Viktorovich (ODU) def. Gabrielle O'Gorman/Sofiya Chekhlystova 6-2
Marina Alcaide/Shahar Biran (ODU) def. Olivia Ryan/Yvonna Zoffova 6-3
SINGLES
Yuliia Starodubtseva (ODU) def. Sofiya Chekhlystova 2-6, 6-0, 1-0 (10-8)
Tatsiana Sasnouskaya (ODU) def. Gabrielle O'Gorman 6-4, 6-2
Marina Alcaide (ODU) de. Yvonna Zuffova 7-5, 6-3
Alexandra Viktrovich (ODU) def. Karly Friedland 6-0, 6-1
Sofia Johnson (ODU) def. Alexandra Nielsen 6-4, 6-3
Alesya Yakubovich (ODU) def. Alina Lebedeva 6-3, 6-0
WOMEN'S TENNIS SWEEPS PENN STATE TO START SPRING SLATE
