Netwomen nearly pull upset

The Lady Lion tennis team lost 4-3 to No. 10 Wisconsin, but the close loss is adding new expectations for the team.

The score may say Wisconsin 4, Penn State 3, but beyond a shadow of a doubt, this was a huge victory for those wearing the blue and white.

The Lady Lion tennis team (3-2, 0-1 Big Ten) nearly upset the No. 10 Badgers Saturday at the Penn State Tennis Center. Penn State won as many singles matches as Wisconsin but dropped two out of three doubles matches to make up the deciding factor.

"It was big. I'm extremely pleased with the performances today, especially for what we've done in a matter of two weeks," Penn State coach Sue Whiteside said. "To be this close to this team at this point in the season is great."

The Lady Lions were led by senior Olga Novikova and freshman Alison Barnett, as each won her singles match in a easy fashion. Novikova took out junior Tracy Zobrist, 6-1, 6-2, while Barnett defeated senior Colleen Lucey by the same score.

"I was trying to be in control," Novikova said. "I was not trying to make any unforced errors. I tried to stay into every point."

Barnett, an exceptional player from Golden Valley, Minn., impressed Whiteside and the rest of the Lady Lions as she dominated and frustrated Lucey to gain the win.

"Alison played with confidence versus a senior," Whiteside said.

The rest of the singles play went down to the wire. Penn State junior Kellie Murphy won the first game, 6-2, before dropping the next two to sophomore Andrea Nathan, 6-3 and 6-4. Lady Lion freshman Kimberly Luff started fast in her match against sophomore Julie Woods but was defeated swiftly in a 3-6, 6-0, 6-0 match. Penn State freshman Rita Bailie stayed with freshman Dena Baritot but lost, 6-4, 6-4, to close out the meet.

The other Penn State singles win came from freshman Pilar Montgomery, who defeated Roz Sweeney, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3. Montgomery also got a doubles victory by teaming with Murphy to defeat Nathan and Woods, 8-4.

In other doubles play, Novikova and Barnett lost to Lucey and senior Melissa Zimpfer, 8-3, and the team of Luff and freshman Kelley Margolis lost to the team of Zobrist and sophomore Barbara Urbanska, 8-3.

The Lady Lions will take a few weeks off to prepare for the rest of the season, which has some new expectations added thanks to Saturday's performance.

"This was a great way to start off the season," Barnett said. "There could be some great things the rest of the year."