#10 Tartans Open Spring Trip with 7-2 Win Over Swarthmore

(Orlando, Fla.) - The Carnegie Mellon women's tennis team, ranked 10th nationally, opened its spring break trip in Orlando with a 7-2 decision over Swarthmore College. The Tartans are now 7-2 while the Garnet even their mark at 2-2.

The Cardinal and Gray led 2-1 following doubles play with wins at the first and second spots. The Tartans top doubles team of sophomore Melissa Strome (West Bloomfield, Mich. / West Bloomfield) and freshman Danna Taylor (Orlando, Fla. / Circle Christian School) won 8-2 before the junior duo of Vinaya Rao (Vernon Hills, Ill. / Adlai E. Stevenson) and Courtney Ollis (Suffern, N.Y. / Suffern) also won 8-2 at second doubles.

Taylor then made the score 3-1 with a straight set win at first singles, winning by the scores of 6-3, 6-0. Sophomore Alex Iordache (Princeton, N.J. / South Brunswick) then won a straight set match to give the Tartans a 4-1 advantage after winning 6-0, 6-4 at fourth singles. After winning the first set, 7-5, at third singles, Rao clinched the team win for the Tartans when her opponent retired at the start on the second set.

Freshman Beata Liberchuk (Edgewater, N.J. / Dwight-Englewood) picked up a straight set win, 6-4, 6-0, at six singles and senior Jamie Vizelman (Highland Heights, Ohio / Mayfield) won a three-set superbreaker, 4-6, 6-3 1-0 (7) at second singles to close the scoring for the Tartans.

Carnegie Mellon will be back on the courts Sunday, March 10 for a pair of matches. The Tartans will start the day against topped ranked Emory University at 10:00 a.m. before playing Dickinson College at 6:30 p.m.