Miami University
Akron
Miami Tennis Wins Battle of MAC Unbeatens
4/17/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
April 17, 2010
AKRON, Ohio -- Miami seized control in the race for the Mid-American Conference regular-season championship Saturday, knocking off previously undefeated and 72nd-ranked Akron 4-3 at the LaTuchie Tennis Center.
The win was the 14th straight in Mid-American Conference play for the RedHawks, who improve to 13-6 overall, 6-0 MAC. Miami can clinch its second straight regular-season championship title outright with two wins next weekend and the No. 1 seed for the league tournament and a share of the title with a split.
The first doubles match ended in Akron's favor, but Miami grabbed the point by winning the other two. Stephanie Danesis and Megan Martzolf earned an 8-5 victory at No. 2, before Anastasia Dracheva and Sydnee Bridger put the RedHawks up 1-0 by winning the No. 3 match by a similar score.
Akron (16-2, 5-1) evened the match with the first singles outcome as Anastasia Dracheva fell 6-3, 6-2 to the 104th-ranked player in the country.
But Miami answered with back-to-back victories to open a 3-1. Bridger won her match at No. 6 by a 6-2, 6-4 count, then Martzolf ran her winning streak to 19 straight without a loss, 7-6, 6-4.
Akron closed to 3-2 with a three-set win at No. 2, but Cara Wald clinched the match with a 7-5, 6-0 win at No. 5. The Zips closed the action by taking the final match, making the final score 4-3.
Miami wraps up the regular season next weekend with matches at Eastern Michigan Friday and Toledo on Saturday.
Players Mentioned
