April 13, 2007

Lute Women Racket Wielders Upset Puget Sound, 5-4

Erika Feltus

TACOMA – The Pacific Lutheran women’s tennis team beat the favored University of Puget Sound in a Northwest Conference match Thursday afternoon at the UPS Tennis Pavilion. The match was scheduled as a home match for the Lutes but was moved north to the UPS campus due to rain.

Pacific Lutheran got off to a jump-start by winning two of the three doubles matches. The top doubles team of Nicole Petrzelka and Erika Feltus fell to Alyssa Sidoff and Courtney Dunham of UPS, 8-5. Ashley Coats and Bria Smith were able to edge out the Logger pair of Katie Schultz and Katie Russell by a score of 9-7. The Lutes took the final doubles match when Tracy Fujitani and Ashley Brooks beat Sam Taylor and Alyssa Wolf, 8-4.

The Loggers quickly made up ground on the Lutes by winning two singles matches. Dunham topped Petrzelka in straight sets 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, followed by another UPS win when Russell beat Liz Currey in straight sets, 7-5, 6-0. With Puget Sound up 3-2 in the match the Lutes’ No. 6 Fujitani was able to topple Christina Podlusky in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, to even the match at 3-3.

With the score all tied up the Lutes looked to Smith and Feltus to help seal the upset. In the No. 5 match Smith dropped the first set to Wolf, 6-4. Smith was able to keep the match alive by winning the second set, 6-4. The final set was all Smith as she dominated Wolf, 6-0. Smith’s win put the Lutes up 4-3 with the number two singles match between Feltus and Sidoff up next. Sidoff overpowered Feltus in the first set 6-1, only to have Feltus come back and take the second set in dramatic fashion 7-6 (7-5). The final and decisive set was setting up to be a barnburner, only to have Feltus win in convincing fashion, 6-3. The final action of the day saw Coats fall to Schultz 6-3, 6-3 in the No. 3 singles match. The Lutes edged out the Loggers 5-4 in the final score to seal the upset. The win also avenged a 6-3 loss to the Loggers earlier this season.

The win moves the Lutes (10-4 NWC, 12-4 overall) into a tie with Puget Sound (10-4 NWC, 11-4 overall) for third place in the conference. The Lutes will host conference leader Linfield this afternoon at 3:30 p.m. at Sprinker Recreation Center.

Pacific Lutheran 5, Puget Sound 4

Doubles:

1. Petrzelka/Feltus vs. Alyssa Sidoff / Courtney Dunham UPS 8-5
2. Coats/Smith vs. Katie Schultz / Katie Russell PLU 9-7
3. Fujitani/Brooks vs. Sam Taylor / Alyssa Wolf PLU 8-4

Singles:

1--Peterzelka vs. Courtney Dunham UPS 7-6 (7-2), 6-4
2--Feltus vs. Alyssa Sidoff PLU 1-6, 7-6(7-5), 6-3
3--Coats vs. Katie Schultz UPS 6-3, 6-3
4--Currey vs. Katie Russell UPS 7-5, 6-0
5--Smith vs. Alyssa Wolf PLU 4-6, 6-4, 6-0
6--Fujitani vs. Christina Podlusky PLU 6-3, 6-2

- PLU -