MASON, OHIO -- The second-seeded Baldwin Wallace University women's tennis team defeated top-seeded and regular season champion Ohio Northern University, 6-0, today (Saturday, May 7) to win the 2011 the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament title at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. With its victory, BW advances to next week's NCAA Division III National Tournament for the fourth time in the last five years.
In the OAC Tournament, all matches are ended when the winning team reaches five team points regardless of the current progress of other matches still on court. Each match will start with the three doubles matches and will continue with singles action until the winning five points are obtained.
With its win, BW improved to 18-7 overall, including seven straight victories and 14 wins in its last 15 matches. The Yellow Jackets captured their fifth OAC women's tennis crown, including its fourth in the past five years and second in a row. With its loss, ONU ends its season with a 21-6 record. Either BW (four) or ONU (two) have shared the past six OAC women's tennis crowns.
BW took an early 3-0 lead by winning all three doubles matches. The number-one duo of senior Caitlyn Pecinovsky (Whitehall/ Columbus Bishop Hartley) and sophomore Becky Mittler (Elyria/Catholic) won, 8-6, to improve to a team-leading 22-8 overall; the No.2 duo of junior Jenny Greene (Worthington/Thomas Worthington) and senior Emily Pelosi (Uniontown/ Green), won, 8-3, to improve to 18-5 overall; and the No.3 tandem of junior Safaa Hajji (Rabat, MOROCCO) and freshman Morgan Baker (Vermilion/ Elyria Catholic) won, 8-3, to improve to 2-1 overall.
The Yellow Jackets clinched the OAC title by winning the first three singles matches to finish. Hajji won the fourth point with a 6-2 and 6-0 victory at No.2 singles as she improved to 13-2 overall, and Pecinovsky and Pelosi had the title-clinching wins at No.1 by the scores of 7-5 and 6-1 and at No.5 by the scores of 6-2 and 6-1, respectively. Both matches ended at the same time, giving BW a sixth point. With her win, Pecinovsky improved to 19-9 this season and Pelosi improved to 22-8 overall. In addition, Mittler was winning at No.3, Greene at No.4 and Baker at No.6.
The NCAA Division III National Tournament pairings are announced on Monday, May 9.
FOR MORE BW Sports Information, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu. or Assistant SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at jefmille@bw.edu Fans can access the latest BW athletics information at www.bw.edu/athletics and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics
Tennis Match Results
OAC Tournament Championship
Baldwin Wallace University 6, Ohio Northern women 0
Singles competition
1. Caitlyn Pecinovsky (BW-W) def. Michelle Tuma (ONU) 7-5, 6-1
2. Safaa Hajji (BW-W) def. Carly Olmstead (ONU) 6-2, 6-0
3. Emily Mueller (ONU) vs. Rebecca Mittler (BW-W) 4-6, 0-1, unfinished
4. Christie Gales (ONU) vs. Jenny Greene (BW-W) 1-6, 3-5, unfinished
5. Emily Pelosi (BW-W) def. Kelsi Wurm (ONU) 6-2, 6-1
6. Lauren Rife (ONU) vs. Morgan Baker (BW-W) 3-6, 2-4, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. Caitlyn Pecinovsky/Rebecca Mittler (BW-W) def. Michelle Tuma/Carly Olmstead (ONU) 8-6
2. Jenny Greene/Emily Pelosi (BW-W) def. Emily Mueller/Lauren Rife (ONU) 8-3
3. Safaa Hajji/Morgan Baker (BW-W) def. Christie Gales/Kelsi Wurm (ONU) 8-2
