TicketsCINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati tennis team kept to its winning ways Saturday afternoon at the Trabert-Talbert Tennis Center in Cincinnati as the Bearcats won their sixth match in a row, this time handing visiting Memphis a 4-1 defeat in American Athletic Conference action. The win pushed UC's record to 13-6 overall with an impressive 8-1 mark in home competitions while the Tigers slipped to 10-7 on the season.
The match, which also featured Senior Day celebrations following the victory for seniors Lauren Bellinger, Kelly Poggensse-Wei, Harley Hutchison and Katya Bure, marked the 13th victory for the Bearcats this season, tying for the most in a single season since the 2012-13 campaign. It also surpassed last year's win total with the team still having three matches remaining on the slate in 2017.
// DOUBLES
Order of Finish: 1,2,3
No. 1 | Bellinger/Poggensee-Wei (CIN) def. Paul/J. Cao (MEM) 6-1
No. 2 | Morga/K. Cao (MEM) def. Hutchison/Miller (CIN) 6-4
No. 3 | Sohn/Kuehn (MEM) def. Morton/Bramato (CIN) 7-5
The duo of Lauren Bellinger and Kelly Poggensee-Wei put the Bearcats out to a quick advantage in the doubles portion of the match as the took a quick 6-1 victory over the Tiger's No. 1 doubles team of Gabrielle Paul and Josephine Cao. The remaining two doubles matches went down to the wire the visitors taking the remaining two tilts, with the team of Marta Morga and Katherine Cao scoring a 6-4 decision over UC's Haley Hutchison and Ali Miller at No. 2 doubles before the No. 3 team of Hanna Sohn and Clara Kuehn won a 7-5 decision over the Bearcats' Caroline Morton and Antonella Bramato to seal the first point of the day.
// SINGLES
Order of Finish: 5,2,1,6
No. 1 | Lauren Bellinger (CIN) def. Hanna Sohn (MEM), 6-1, 6-3
No. 2 | Kelly Poggensee-Wei (CIN) def. Gabrielle Paul (MEM), 6-2, 6-2
No. 3 | Antonella Bramato (CIN) trailed Marta Morga (MEM), 4-6, 2-4 (unfinished)
No. 4 | Caroline Morton (CIN) led Katherine Cao (MEM), 7-6 (3), 3-0 (unfinished)
No. 5 | Anna Philp (CIN) def. Josephine Cao (MEM), 6-0, 6-0
No. 6 | Harley Hutchison (CIN) def. Clara Kuehn (MEM), 6-1, 6-4
Despite the loss of the doubles point, the Bearcats came out firing and saw Bellinger, Poggensee-Wei, Anna Philp and Hutchinson earn take their respective first sets in quick fashion before grabbing the second set to lead the team to victory. Needing four wins for the team victory, it was only fitting that the seniors took charge to set the tone.
Freshman Philp grabbed the first point as she ran away with a 6-0, 6-0 decision over J. Cao at No. 5 singles, squaring the match at 1-1. Poggensee-Wei just behind her with a 6-2, 6-2 victory at No. 2 singles over Paul to put UC ahead, 2-1, before Bellinger added to the point total with her 6-1, 6-3 victory at No. 1 singles. With the matches at No. 3 and No. 4 just getting into their second sets, Hutchinson closed out the team win as she netted a 6-1, 6-4 victory to clinch the team's sixth win in a row.
In the remaining two matches that went as unfinished results, Morton led her No. 4 match as she took the first set, 7-6 (3), before holding a 3-0 lead when the final team point was clinched. At No. 3, Bramato trailed Morga, 4-6, 2-4, when the match ended.
// UP NEXT
The Bearcats will look to keep their win streak going with a trio of home matches are on the schedule to close out the regular season. UC will go for its seventh win a row when it welcomes Northern Kentucky across the river to the Trabert-Talbert Tennis Center for a 3 p.m. match on Wednesday, April 12.