March 25, 2012

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Lehigh University swept the Loyola University Maryland men's and women's tennis teams on Sunday afternoon, winning the men's match, 6-1, and edging the Greyhounds, 4-3, on the women's side.

Harrison Kunkel scored the men's point with a 6-2, 2-6, 10-6, victory over Edgars Rauza at No. 6 singles. Ben Gilman of Lehigh defeated Keyan Sanai, 6-0, 6-4, at No. 1, and Mitchell Petersen was a 6-3, 6-3, winner over J. Pierce Norton at No. 2.

Matt Savran defeated Kevin Zingler, 6-1, 6-1, at No. 3 singles, and D.J. Goldblum edged Bobby Gorczakowski, 6-4, 7-6, at No. 4. Timur Chernykh was a 6-3, 6-0 victor at No. 5 singles.

The doubles matches were very tightly contested with the Mountain Hawks squeezing out the point. Norton and Zingler used a tiebreaker to win the No. 1 doubles match, 9-8 (5) for Loyola, but Chernykh and Petersen got past Sanai and Gorczakowski, 8-5, at No. 2. Lehigh clinched the point with an 8-6 win by Goldblum and Rauza over Lisco and Patrick Glaessner at No. 3.

The Lehigh women opened the match by winning the doubles point, sweeping the action from the Greyhounds.

Jenai Bilimoria and Abby Farrell defeated Rachel Janasek and Olivia Ott, 8-6, at No. 1 doubles, while Liz Piscitelli and Gabby Drucker narrowly edged Scarlett Hoy and Judy Lite, 9-8 (4), at No. 2. Kathleen Larkin and Jill Sloand then defeated Tiffany Ash and Jackie Lionetta, 8-1, in the No. 3 slot.

Ash bested Piscitelli, 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, at No. 3 singles, and Lite was a straight-sets winner, 6-4, 6-1, over Drucker at No. 4. Ott then took down Molly Brooks, 6-1, 7-5, at No. 5 singles.

Bilimoria beat Janasek, 6-4, 6-3, at No. 1 singles, and Farrell used three sets to down Hoy, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3. Lehigh closed the match as Emily Bruch edged Lionetta, 7-6 (7), 6-3 at No. 6 singles.