EUGENE, Ore. – Junior Stephanie Fuchs rallied to a three-set singles victory as the Portland Pilots women’s tennis team opened the spring season with a 6-1 loss to the Oregon Ducks on the road. Debuting for the Pilots were freshmen Valeska Hoath and Cassie McCloskey.
Fuchs’ victory was a marathon match that finished 12-10 in the third set against Patricia Skowronski.
Fuchs also teamed up with Hoath at the doubles No. 2 position. Playing against Julia Metzger and Fuchs’ sister Sabine, they battled to an 8-5 decision in Oregon’s favor.
Elsewhere in singles play, Junior Lacey Pflibsen, who earned All-WCC honors in both singles and doubles each of the last two seasons, was forced to retire early in the second set.
Senior Megan Sporndli, who also landed on the all-conference team in both singles and doubles the last two years, was unable to find her groove and fell in two sets to Metzger in the No. 2 singles position.
After a tight first set that ended 6-4, junior Stephanie Doolittle was unable to bounce back and eventually lost in two straight at the No. 3 spot.
“It was a solid team effort against a good UO team,” said head coach Susie Campbell-Gross. “The freshmen got their first match experience and showed great signs for things to come.”
The Pilots remain in Eugene to face Eastern Washington on Saturday, Jan. 23 at 10:00 a.m.
Oregon 6, Portland 1
January 22, 2010
Eugene Ore. (Student Tennis Center)
Singles
1. Pavlina Smatova (ORE) def. Lacey Pflibsen (UP), 6-4, 2-0 (ret.)
2. Julia Metzger (ORE) def. Megan Sporndli (UP), 6-0, 6-1
3. Trudie du Toit (ORE) def. Stefanie Doolittle (UP), 6-4, 6-1
4. Emmanuelle Cor (ORE) def. Valeska Hoath (UP), 6-3, 6-0
5. Stephanie Fuchs (UP) def. Patricia Skowronski (ORE), 6-4, 3-6, 12-10
6. Sabine Fuchs (ORE) def. Cassie McCloskey (UP), 6-0, 6-1
Doubles
1. Smatova/du Toit (ORE) def. Pflibsen/Sporndli (UP), 8-1
2. Metzger/Fuchs (ORE) def. Hoath/Fuchs (UP), 8-5
3. Cor/Skowronski (ORE) def. Doolittle/McCloskey (UP), 8-2
