Broncos Beat Bulls For First MAC Win

WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. - The Western Michigan women's tennis team rebounded from a loss at Akron to defeat the Buffalo Bulls 6-1 at the Miller Tennis Center in Williamsville, N.Y., giving the Broncos their first Mid-American Conference win of the season.  With the win, the Broncos improve to 8-9 overall, 1-1 in MAC play.

One day after falling 6-1 to the Zips, the Broncos won by an identical score by taking the doubles point and five of six singles matches.  The Broncos split up some of the typical doubles pairings, particularly by un-pairing Jill Pastunink and Maggie Remynse; the move paid dividends as the duos of Pastunink / Maria Nivia and Amanda Moccia / Remynse earned 8-1 and 8-2 wins, respectively.

In the singles matches, Nini Sujashvili opened the proceedings with a win in the No. 2 singles match by defeating Aleksandra Petrova 6-2, 6-1, and was followed by Nivia's 6-4, 6-3 win in the No. 4 singles match over Kira Golenko.  Pastunink officially sealed the win for the Broncos by winning the No. 3 singles match 6-4, 6-4 over Marta Stoyanova.  Also picking up wins for WMU were Moccia, who came down from 1-0 to win 5-7, 6-1, 6-2, and reigning MAC Player of the Week Rachel Denny, who pushed through three exciting tiebreaker sets to win 7-6 (8), 6-7 (2), 1-0 (10-8).

The Broncos will return to Kalamazoo for a three-match homestand, beginning on Friday, April 1 against Ball State.  Start time is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Western Michigan 6, Buffalo 1
Women's Tennis, Miller Tennis Center, Williamsville, NY, March 26, 2011

Doubles
1 Diana Popescu/Miranda Podlas (UB) d. April Kerr/Nini Sujashvili (WMU), 8-3
2 Jill Pastunink/Maria Nivia (WMU) d. Aleksandra Petrova/Kira Golenko (UB), 8-1
3 Amanda Moccia/Maggie Remynse (WMU) d. Marta Stoyanova/Shelby Bates (UB), 8-2
Order of finish: 2, 3, 1
Singles
1 Diana Popescu (UB) d. Maggie Remynse (WMU), 7-6 (5), 2-6, 6-2
2 Nini Sujashvili (WMU) d. Aleksandra Petrova (UB), 6-2, 6-1
3 Jill Pastunink (WMU) d. Marta Stoyanova (UB), 6-4, 6-4
4 Maria Nivia (WMU) d. Kira Golenko (UB), 6-4, 6-3
5 Amanda Moccia (WMU) d. Shelby Bates (UB), 5-7, 6-1, 6-2
6 Rachel Denny (WMU) d. Miranda Podlas (UB), 7-6 (8), 6-7 (2), 1-0 (10-8)
Order of finish: 2, 4, 3, 6, 5, 1