TicketsSALT LAKE CITY – University of Cincinnati women's tennis split a two-match road stint with Utah and Montana inside George S. Eccles Tennis Center this weekend.
Cincinnati responded with a 4-1 win over Montana on Sunday after falling to host Utah 4-0 on Saturday.
"Today was a much better effort from start to finish," head coach Eric Toth said. "I felt our overall approach to the Utah match left a lot to be desired and we are a much better team than we showed on Saturday. The response from our team was so much better today. Our enthusiasm was what it needs to be from start to finish and it translated into a victory over a solid Montana team."
The Bearcats dropped the doubles point to the Utes on courts two and three with matching scores of 6-3. Sophomore Elizabeth Pendergast battled after a dropped first set to lead 5-3 in the second set on court one, but Utah claimed s positions four, five and six for the win on Saturday.
Cincinnati bounced back by sweeping all doubles courts to take the initial point from Montana on Sunday. Redshirt junior Kelli Niehaus and redshirt senior claimed their match in dominant fashion, keeping their opponents off the scoreboard with a 6-0 win on court two. Pendergast and redshirt junior Sofia Bruno paired up to secure the doubles point with a 6-2 win on court three, while sophomore Callie Flanagan and redshirt junior Cassie McLay took court one 6-4 for the trifecta.
Playing in front, the Bearcats raced out to early leads in their singles matches to extend their advantage. Freshman Natasha Opaciuch earned her first singles win of the dual match season with a straight-set 6-0, 6-4 win on court six. The Grizzlies cut the deficit back to one point by taking court three before Pendergast and Flanagan each earned their second singles win of the spring to secure the Bearcats' victory. Pendergast posted a 7-5, 6-0 win on court one, while Flanagan picked up a 7-6 (5), 6-4 win on court five.
Cincinnati closes out the early season road stint when the Bearcats travel down I-71 to face Louisville inside Bass Rudd Tennis Center on Friday, Feb. 10 at 11 a.m. ET.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati women's tennis, please visit GoBEARCATS.com and follow @GoBearcatsWTEN on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
RESULTS
Utah 4, Cincinnati 0
Feb. 4, 2023 | Salt Lake City, Utah | George S. Eccles Tennis Center
Doubles
1. Anastasia Goncharova / Madison Tattini (UU) vs. Callie Flanagan / Cassie McLay (CIN), 5-3 (unfinished)
2. Samantha Horwood / Katya Townsend (UU) def. Kelli Niehaus / Maria Santilli (CIN), 6-3
3. Kaila Barksdale / Marcela Lopez (UU) def. Katie Ferguson / Elizabeth Pendergast (CIN), 6-3
ORDER OF FINISH: 3,2
Singles
1. Elizabeth Pendergast (CIN) vs. Katya Townsend (UU), 7-6 (7-2), 5-3 (unfinished)
2. Madison Tattini (UU) vs. Cassie McLay (CIN), 6-4, 5-2 (unfinished)
3. Kaila Barksdale (UU) vs. Maria Santilli (CIN), 7-5, 3-0 (unfinished)
4. Anastasia Goncharova (UU) def. Kelli Niehaus (CIN), 6-1, 6-1
5. Marcela Lopez (UU) def. Callie Flanagan (CIN), 6-1, 7-6 (7-1)
6. Samantha Horwood (UU) def. Katie Ferguson (CIN), 6-1, 6-0
ORDER OF FINISH: 6,4,5
Cincinnati 4, Montana 1
Feb. 5, 2023 | Salt Lake City, Utah | George S. Eccles Tennis Center
Doubles
1. Callie Flanagan / Cassie McLay (CIN) def. Grace Haugen / Hailey Murphy (MON), 6-4
2. Kelli Niehaus / Maria Santilli (CIN) def. Lauren Dunlap / Rosie Sterk (MON), 6-0
3. Sofia Bruno / Elizabeth Pendergast (CIN) def. Ivayla Mitkova / Olivia Oosterbaan (MON), 6-2
ORDER OF FINISH: 2,3,1
Singles
1. Elizabeth Pendergast (CIN) def. Grace Haugen (MON), 7-5, 6-0
2. Cassie McLay (CIN) vs. Olivia Oosterbaan (MON), 6-4, 5-2 (unfinished)
3. Hailey Murphy (MON) def. Maria Santilli (CIN) 6-3, 6-4
4. Kelli Niehaus (CIN) vs. Lauren Dunlap (MON), 5-7, 6-4 (unfinished)
5. Callie Flanagan (CIN) def. Rosie Sterk (MON), 7-6 (7-5), 6-4
6. Natasha Opaciuch (CIN) def. Shivika Agrawal (MON), 6-0, 6-4
ORDER OF FINISH: 6,3,1,5
Cincinnati responded with a 4-1 win over Montana on Sunday after falling to host Utah 4-0 on Saturday.
"Today was a much better effort from start to finish," head coach Eric Toth said. "I felt our overall approach to the Utah match left a lot to be desired and we are a much better team than we showed on Saturday. The response from our team was so much better today. Our enthusiasm was what it needs to be from start to finish and it translated into a victory over a solid Montana team."
The Bearcats dropped the doubles point to the Utes on courts two and three with matching scores of 6-3. Sophomore Elizabeth Pendergast battled after a dropped first set to lead 5-3 in the second set on court one, but Utah claimed s positions four, five and six for the win on Saturday.
Cincinnati bounced back by sweeping all doubles courts to take the initial point from Montana on Sunday. Redshirt junior Kelli Niehaus and redshirt senior claimed their match in dominant fashion, keeping their opponents off the scoreboard with a 6-0 win on court two. Pendergast and redshirt junior Sofia Bruno paired up to secure the doubles point with a 6-2 win on court three, while sophomore Callie Flanagan and redshirt junior Cassie McLay took court one 6-4 for the trifecta.
Playing in front, the Bearcats raced out to early leads in their singles matches to extend their advantage. Freshman Natasha Opaciuch earned her first singles win of the dual match season with a straight-set 6-0, 6-4 win on court six. The Grizzlies cut the deficit back to one point by taking court three before Pendergast and Flanagan each earned their second singles win of the spring to secure the Bearcats' victory. Pendergast posted a 7-5, 6-0 win on court one, while Flanagan picked up a 7-6 (5), 6-4 win on court five.
Cincinnati closes out the early season road stint when the Bearcats travel down I-71 to face Louisville inside Bass Rudd Tennis Center on Friday, Feb. 10 at 11 a.m. ET.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati women's tennis, please visit GoBEARCATS.com and follow @GoBearcatsWTEN on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
RESULTS
Utah 4, Cincinnati 0
Feb. 4, 2023 | Salt Lake City, Utah | George S. Eccles Tennis Center
Doubles
1. Anastasia Goncharova / Madison Tattini (UU) vs. Callie Flanagan / Cassie McLay (CIN), 5-3 (unfinished)
2. Samantha Horwood / Katya Townsend (UU) def. Kelli Niehaus / Maria Santilli (CIN), 6-3
3. Kaila Barksdale / Marcela Lopez (UU) def. Katie Ferguson / Elizabeth Pendergast (CIN), 6-3
ORDER OF FINISH: 3,2
Singles
1. Elizabeth Pendergast (CIN) vs. Katya Townsend (UU), 7-6 (7-2), 5-3 (unfinished)
2. Madison Tattini (UU) vs. Cassie McLay (CIN), 6-4, 5-2 (unfinished)
3. Kaila Barksdale (UU) vs. Maria Santilli (CIN), 7-5, 3-0 (unfinished)
4. Anastasia Goncharova (UU) def. Kelli Niehaus (CIN), 6-1, 6-1
5. Marcela Lopez (UU) def. Callie Flanagan (CIN), 6-1, 7-6 (7-1)
6. Samantha Horwood (UU) def. Katie Ferguson (CIN), 6-1, 6-0
ORDER OF FINISH: 6,4,5
Cincinnati 4, Montana 1
Feb. 5, 2023 | Salt Lake City, Utah | George S. Eccles Tennis Center
Doubles
1. Callie Flanagan / Cassie McLay (CIN) def. Grace Haugen / Hailey Murphy (MON), 6-4
2. Kelli Niehaus / Maria Santilli (CIN) def. Lauren Dunlap / Rosie Sterk (MON), 6-0
3. Sofia Bruno / Elizabeth Pendergast (CIN) def. Ivayla Mitkova / Olivia Oosterbaan (MON), 6-2
ORDER OF FINISH: 2,3,1
Singles
1. Elizabeth Pendergast (CIN) def. Grace Haugen (MON), 7-5, 6-0
2. Cassie McLay (CIN) vs. Olivia Oosterbaan (MON), 6-4, 5-2 (unfinished)
3. Hailey Murphy (MON) def. Maria Santilli (CIN) 6-3, 6-4
4. Kelli Niehaus (CIN) vs. Lauren Dunlap (MON), 5-7, 6-4 (unfinished)
5. Callie Flanagan (CIN) def. Rosie Sterk (MON), 7-6 (7-5), 6-4
6. Natasha Opaciuch (CIN) def. Shivika Agrawal (MON), 6-0, 6-4
ORDER OF FINISH: 6,3,1,5