TicketsBLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Cincinnati women's tennis team won its fifth consecutive match on Saturday, defeating Indiana, 4-3, at the IU Tennis Center.
The match was tied 3-3, while redshirt junior Maria Santilli battled Indiana's Mila Mejic into the third set on Court 4. Santilli ultimately won the final set to take a 6-7 (6-7), 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 come-from-behind win that gave Cincinnati the match.
"It was quite an effort by our team today," head coach Eric Toth said. "Doubles got us some needed momentum and we had just enough in singles to get the job done. Incredible job by Maria (Santilli) to be down and very close to defeat, and not giving in. That is what Maria is all about and I'm glad her efforts paid off today. We'll get home and be ready to go tomorrow against another good team in Murray State."
Cincinnati opened the match by taking the doubles point when the pairs of freshman Callie Flanagan and redshirt sophomore Kelli Niehaus and redshirt seniors Ioana Guna and Emma Miceli defeated their Hoosier opponents, 6-1 and 6-4, respectively, to stake the Bearcats to a 1-0 lead.
In singles, freshman Elizabeth Pendergrast won 6-1, 6-4 on Court 1, while Niehaus won on Court 6 6-1, 6-0 to give Santilli the opportunity to clinch the match.
Cincinnati improved to 6-3 on the season. UC has won five straight matches, dating back to Jan. 29, versus Butler.
NEXT UP
Cincinnati will host Murray State (4-4) at the Western Athletic Club at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday.
RESULTS
Cincinnati 4, Indiana 3
Singles
1) Elizabeth Pendergast (CIN) def. Laura Masic (IND) 6-1, 6-4
2) Lara Schneider (IND) def. Ioana Guna (CIN) 6-1, 4-0 (ret.)
3) Alex Staiculescu (IND) def. Cassie McLay (CIN) 6-3, 6-1
4) Maria Santilli (CIN) def. Mila Mejic (IND) 6-7 (6-7), 7-6 (7-2), 6-4
5) Rose Hu (IND) def. Emma Miceli (CIN) 6-1, 6-3
6) Kelli Niehaus (CIN) def. Sayda Hernandez (IND) 6-1, 6-0
Order of Finish: 6, 2, 3, 5, 1, 4
Doubles
1) Laura Masic/Lara Schneider (IND) vs. Cassie McLay/Elizabeth Pendergast (CIN) 4-5, unf.
2) Ioana Guna/Emma Miceli (CIN) def. Alex Staiculescu/Mila Mejic (IND) 6-4
3) Callie Flanagan/Kelli Niehaus (CIN) def. Lexi Kubas/Sayda Hernandez (IND) 6-1
Order of Finish: 3, 2
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati tennis, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the team (@GoBearcatsWTEN) and Head Coach Eric Toth (@EricToth1) on Twitter. You can also find the Bearcats on Instagram and Facebook.
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The match was tied 3-3, while redshirt junior Maria Santilli battled Indiana's Mila Mejic into the third set on Court 4. Santilli ultimately won the final set to take a 6-7 (6-7), 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 come-from-behind win that gave Cincinnati the match.
"It was quite an effort by our team today," head coach Eric Toth said. "Doubles got us some needed momentum and we had just enough in singles to get the job done. Incredible job by Maria (Santilli) to be down and very close to defeat, and not giving in. That is what Maria is all about and I'm glad her efforts paid off today. We'll get home and be ready to go tomorrow against another good team in Murray State."
Toth picked up his 79th win with the Bearcats to tie Marty Wolf (1982-87) for the second-most wins in school history.That winning feeling. 🤩
— Cincinnati Tennis (@GoBearcatsWTEN) March 5, 2022
Make it FIVE in a row for the Bearcats! pic.twitter.com/T9BwS8o7RJ
Cincinnati opened the match by taking the doubles point when the pairs of freshman Callie Flanagan and redshirt sophomore Kelli Niehaus and redshirt seniors Ioana Guna and Emma Miceli defeated their Hoosier opponents, 6-1 and 6-4, respectively, to stake the Bearcats to a 1-0 lead.
In singles, freshman Elizabeth Pendergrast won 6-1, 6-4 on Court 1, while Niehaus won on Court 6 6-1, 6-0 to give Santilli the opportunity to clinch the match.
Cincinnati improved to 6-3 on the season. UC has won five straight matches, dating back to Jan. 29, versus Butler.
NEXT UP
Cincinnati will host Murray State (4-4) at the Western Athletic Club at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday.
RESULTS
Cincinnati 4, Indiana 3
Singles
1) Elizabeth Pendergast (CIN) def. Laura Masic (IND) 6-1, 6-4
2) Lara Schneider (IND) def. Ioana Guna (CIN) 6-1, 4-0 (ret.)
3) Alex Staiculescu (IND) def. Cassie McLay (CIN) 6-3, 6-1
4) Maria Santilli (CIN) def. Mila Mejic (IND) 6-7 (6-7), 7-6 (7-2), 6-4
5) Rose Hu (IND) def. Emma Miceli (CIN) 6-1, 6-3
6) Kelli Niehaus (CIN) def. Sayda Hernandez (IND) 6-1, 6-0
Order of Finish: 6, 2, 3, 5, 1, 4
Doubles
1) Laura Masic/Lara Schneider (IND) vs. Cassie McLay/Elizabeth Pendergast (CIN) 4-5, unf.
2) Ioana Guna/Emma Miceli (CIN) def. Alex Staiculescu/Mila Mejic (IND) 6-4
3) Callie Flanagan/Kelli Niehaus (CIN) def. Lexi Kubas/Sayda Hernandez (IND) 6-1
Order of Finish: 3, 2
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati tennis, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the team (@GoBearcatsWTEN) and Head Coach Eric Toth (@EricToth1) on Twitter. You can also find the Bearcats on Instagram and Facebook.
-GoBEARCATS.com-