Marquette Defeats Western Michigan, 5-2

Feb. 11, 2013

MILWAUKEE -

The Marquette women's tennis team won its fifth consecutive match on Monday evening with a 4-2 victory over Western Michigan. The Golden Eagles are now 6-2 in the season.

MU swept doubles action to open the match. Junior Rocio Diaz and sophomore Ali Dawson were paired up again at No. 1 doubles and fought to a 9-7 victory over the Broncos. On the second doubles court, sophomore Ana Pimienta and freshman Erin Gebes earned another victory grinding out a 9-7 win over WMU. The freshmen tandem of Aina Hernandez Soler and Aleeza Kanner had an easy time over Western Michigan, winning 8-1 in the third position.

MU held a 3-2 lead with just Diaz at No. 2 singles and Kanner at No. 4 singles still playing. Kanner defeated Caroline Aleck from Western Michigan, 6-3, 6-2, which clinched the match for the Golden Eagles. Freshman Laia Hernandez Soler dropped just one set in the sixth singles spot, 6-0, 6-1 and finished first in singles play. Classmate Erin Gebes won at No. 4 singles as she defeated the Broncos' Kelsey King, 6-3, 6-2. Despite MU clinching the match, Diaz fought back after dropping her first game to win, 2-6, 6-2, 4-3 in the second singles position.

"It was a great win for the team tonight," head coach Jody Bronson said. "It was a hard fought battle coming from behind to clinch the doubles point. We knew singles was going to be challenging and we stepped up and played with a lot of heart to pull out the victory. Kudos to Aleeza Kanner for her first team clinch."

This match was the first of four in-a-row at home for the Golden Eagles. They will host three matches this weekend beginning Friday, Feb. 15 with DePaul at 4 p.m. CT.

Marquette 5, Western Michigan 2
Doubles

Ali Dawson/Rocio Diaz (MU) def. Jill Pastunink/Nini Sujashvil (WMU), 9-7
Erin Gebes/Ana Pimienta (MU) def. Kathleen Hawkins/Kelsey King (WMU), 9-7
Aleeza Kanner/Aina Hernandez Soler (MU) def. Caroline Aleck/Hailey Shanahan (WMU), 8-1

Singles

Sujashvil (WMU) def. Pimienta (MU), 6-2, 6-3
Diaz (MU) def. Pastunink (WMU), 2-6, 6-2, 4-3
Hawkins (WMU) def. Dawson (MU), 6-2, 6-2
Gebes (MU) def. King (WMU), 6-3, 6-2
Kanner (MU) def. Aleck (WMU), 6-3, 6-2
Laia Hernandez Soler (MU) def. Shanahan (WMU), 6-0, 6-1