NORFOLK, Va. – The Old Dominion women's tennis team finished off Darryl Cummings Day on Sunday afternoon with an impressive 4-0 win over Penn State at the Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center.
A special ceremony was held prior to the start of the match honoring the memory of the long-time ODU coach who passed away in December with a banner recognizing "The House That Darryl Built."
"A good match and we really needed a match like this, win or lose, we needed a team effort after a tough loss to Wake yesterday. To come out and perform the way we did was real pleasing for everyone," said ODU Head Coach Dominic Manilla.
Doubles saw the teams play out all three matches with ODU taking the first one at No. 3 as Kira Matushkina and Ulyana Romanova won 6-1. After a 6-2 win by Penn State at No. 2, the top duo of Sofia Johnson and Lidiia Rasskouskaia took the final three games to win 6-3 and give the Monarchs a 1-0 lead.
In singles, ODU (2-3) got on the board with Romanova taking a 6-1, 6-0 win in 49 minutes at No. 6 for a 2-0 advantage. Rasskouskaia followed seven minutes later with a 6-1, 6-1 win for a 3-0 ODU lead. Moving up a spot in the lineup on Sunday, Allison Isaacs clinched the match with a 6-3, 6-1 win at No. 3. She won four straight games in the first set to propel to the win and won the final three of the match for the victory.
"We moved Allison up making a lineup change and it worked pretty well. She stepped up, clinching and played one of the best matches of her career. It was exciting to see her do it when the team needed her to do," said Manilla.
ODU heads back to Iowa State for a Friday match after defeating the Cyclones 4-0 in the ITA Kickoff Weekend regional opener last weekend.
Tennis Match Results
Penn State University vs Old Dominion
2/4/2024 at Norfolk, Va.
(Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center)
Old Dominion 4, Penn State University 0
Singles competition
1. Sofia Johnson (ODU-W) vs. Olivia Dorner (PSU) 7-6 (7-1), 1-3, unfinished
2. AlexandraViktorovich (ODU-W) vs. Sofiya Chekhlystova (PSU) 5-7, 3-2, unfinished
3. Allison Isaacs (ODU-W) def. Jordina Cegarra (PSU) 6-3, 6-1
4. Kira Matushkina (ODU-W) vs. Yvonne Zuffova (PSU) 6-2, 6-5, unfinished
5. Lidiia Rasskouskaia (ODU-W) def. Alina Lebedeva (PSU) 6-1, 6-1
6. Ulyana Romanova (ODU-W) def. Danielle Alamo (PSU) 6-1, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. Sofia Johnson/Lidiia Rasskouskaia (ODU-W) def. Jordina Cegarra/Olivia Dorner (PSU) 6-4
2. Sofiya Chekhlystova/Yvonne Zuffova (PSU) def. Allison Isaacs/AlexandraViktorovich (ODU-W) 6-2
3. Kira Matushkina/Ulyana Romanova (ODU-W) def. Danielle Alamo/Alina Lebedeva (PSU) 6-1
Match Notes:
Penn State University 1-4
Old Dominion 2-3
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (6,5,3)
On Darryl Cummings Day Women's Tennis Blanks Penn State 4-0
Allison Isaacs