By Teziah Howard / The Jambar
The season-opening matches for the Youngstown State University women’s tennis team came from the comfort of the YSU Tennis Center.
The Penguins opened their season with a 4-3 loss to Marshall University on Jan. 18, but bounced back the following week against Miami University.
Despite the loss to the Thundering Herd, Youngstown State claimed three singles-match victories against Marshall. Sophomores Lorena Cedeno and Yoana Dudova, and senior Julia Marko came out of their singles matches with individual wins.
No. 1 singles featured a matchup between Marko and Marshall senior Emma Vanderheyden. Marko swept the head-to-head matchup with a 6-3 and 6-4 victory.
No. 5 singles featured Cedeno matching up with Marshall senior Aisling McGrane. Cedeno was the first to six points in both matches and joined Marko with match sweeps.
Dudova recorded the final singles victory for the Penguins when she matched up with Marshall freshman Nel Van Hout. Dudova rallied to a 6-4 and 6-3 victory.
The match was decided after a head-to-head between sophomore Yeseniia Ovcharova and Marshall freshman Alina Mokrynskaya. Ovcharova was victorious in the first set, winning 6-4.
She continued her impressive stint with four points in the second match, but dropped a 7-6 frame. Mokrynskaya closed out the series with a 6-2 win for The Herd.
The Penguins hosted Miami on Jan. 2, where they notched a statement 6-1 win over the Redhawks. Youngstown State swept in all singles matches.
In the No. 1 singles match, Marko faced Miami senior Sara Zalukar. Marko was victorious in the first match and won the final set 6-1, after being shutout in the second.
In No. 2 singles, senior Lili Minich also reached three sets after winning her first and dropping her second. Minich finished the final set with a 6-1 win over Miami senior Nishitha Saravanan.
Ovcharova swept Miami senior Emilia Valentinsson with two 7-5 victories. Cedeno also swept her opponent with a 6-3, 6-2 win. Senior Ghada Diringer was a winner of both her sets with a 6-2, 6-0 statement victory.
Dudova rounded out the Penguins’ singles matches against Miami sophomore Laren Joyce. Dudova won in convincing fashion over Joyce with a 6-1, 6-2 final score.
The Youngstown State women’s tennis team will return to action next weekend when it travels out west to Las Vegas to play in three matches.
The competition begins Jan. 31-Feb. 2 with matchups against Oral Roberts University, Weber State University and the University of Nevada Las Vegas.