The University of Akron Athletics
Saturday, April 27
Buffalo, NY
2 PM
University of Akron
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Semifinal: #2 Akron vs. #6 Buffalo
Women’s Tennis Beats Buffalo in Semifinal; Advances to MAC Title Match on Sunday
April 27 | Women's Tennis
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MAC CHAMPIONSHIP | LIVE STATS
VIDEO RECAP | PHOTO GALLERY
BUFFALO, N.Y. – The No. 2 seed University of Akron women's tennis team defeated defending MAC champion and No. 6 seed Buffalo, 4-0, on Saturday in the semifinal round of the 2019 Mid-American Conference Championship at UB's Miller Tennis Center.
The Zips (21-5 overall) now advance to Sunday's MAC Championship match against No. 1 seed Miami (11-10 overall), which defeated No. 4 seed Ball State, 4-0, in the other semifinal.
The championship match begins at Noon at the Miller Tennis Center. Live stats will be provided.
The winner of the MAC Championship advances to the NCAA Tournament.
"Great match," said Akron head coach Brandon Padgett. "Buffalo played like we knew they would– extremely hard. They're a very talented team. This is a tough environment to play in. The fans were great. We played a little bit better on the bigger points than they did, and I think that was the difference for us."
With today's victory, Akron advances to the MAC Championship match for the third time in program history. On its two prior trips in 2011 and 2012, UA won the MAC Tournament championship– also as the No. 2 seed– under Padgett.
UA started out strong against the Bulls (15-8 overall), earning the doubles point with wins at No. 1 and 2.
At No. 1, junior captain Rita Pedroso (Porto, Portugal) and sophomore Miruna Vasilescu (Ulm, Germany) tied doubles at 1-1 with a 6-3 win over Chantel Martinez Blanco and Nikoleta Antoniou-Karademitrou.
In the deciding match at No. 2, redshirt senior captain Sophia Geier (Burgebrach, Germany and sophomore Anna Uljanov (Schweinfurt, Germany) defeated Arianna Paules Aldrey and Pia Schwarz, 6-3, claiming the team doubles point.
Akron recorded victories in three singles matches. Play was stopped once the match was clinched with four wins.
At No. 1, Geier remained undefeated against MAC opponents with a 6-4, 6-2 decision over Blanco. Geier stands 28-4 in singles action and 20-1 in spring action, all at the No. 1 spot. Geier will finish her collegiate career ranked No. 2 in career singles wins (currently has 105) and combination singles/doubles wins (currently has 176) while her 71 doubles victories rank No. 11 on the career chart.
At No. 3, Uljanov beat Antoniou-Karademitrou in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3.
At No. 5, senior Luisa Echeverry (Cali Colombia) defeated Emel Abibula, 6-3, 6-4.
"I couldn't be happier for my team. This has been a long time coming," he added. "Luisa stepped up big for us. She struggled in conference play, and today picked up a big win for us. I'm just really, really happy for them."
#2 AKRON 4, #6 BUFFALO
MAC Semifinal | Miller Tennis Center | Buffalo, N.Y.
April 27, 2019
Doubles:
1. Rita Pedroso/Miruna Vasilescu (Akron) def. Chantel Martinez Blanco/Nikoleta Antoniou-Karademitrou (UB), 6-3
2. Sophia Geier/Anna Uljanov (Akron) def. Arianna Paules Aldrey/Pia Schwarz (UB), 6-3
3. Emel Abibula/Hsin-Yuan Shih (UB) def. Carla Flores/Ceci Rosas (Akron), 6-0
Singles:
1. Sophia Geier (Akron) def. Chantel Martinez Blanco (UB), 6-4, 6-2
2. Miruna Vasilescu (Akron) vs. Pia Schwarz (UB), 0-6, 6-2, 3-3 unfinished
3. Anna Uljanov (Akron) def. Nikoleta Antoniou-Karademitrou (UB), 6-3, 6-3
4. Rita Pedroso (Akron) vs. Hsin-Yuan Shih (UB), 6-2, 4-6, 2-2 unfinished
5. Luisa Echeverry (Akron) def. Emel Abibula (UB), 6-3, 6-4
6. Ceci Rosas (Akron) vs. Sanjana Sudhir (UB), 6-4, 6-5, unfinished
Order of Finish:
Doubles– 3, 1, 2
Singles– 3, 5, 1
Team Records:
#2 seed Akron (21-5 overall)
#6 seed Buffalo (15-8 overall)
2019 MAC WOMEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
University at Buffalo | Miller Tennis Center | Buffalo, N.Y.
April 26-28, 2019
Friday, April 26 | Quarterfinals Results:
Match 1: No. 4 seed Ball State 4, No. 5 seed Toledo 1
Match 2: No. 6 seed Buffalo 5, No. 3 seed Western Michigan 0
Saturday, April 27 | Semifinal Results:
Match 3: No. 1 seed Miami 4, No. 4 seed Ball State 0
Match 4: No. 2 seed Akron 4, No. 6 seed Buffalo 0
Sunday, April 28 | Championship Final:
Match 5: No. 1 seed Miami vs. No. 2 seed Akron, Noon
MAC CHAMPIONSHIP | LIVE STATS
VIDEO RECAP | PHOTO GALLERY
BUFFALO, N.Y. – The No. 2 seed University of Akron women's tennis team defeated defending MAC champion and No. 6 seed Buffalo, 4-0, on Saturday in the semifinal round of the 2019 Mid-American Conference Championship at UB's Miller Tennis Center.
The Zips (21-5 overall) now advance to Sunday's MAC Championship match against No. 1 seed Miami (11-10 overall), which defeated No. 4 seed Ball State, 4-0, in the other semifinal.
The championship match begins at Noon at the Miller Tennis Center. Live stats will be provided.
The winner of the MAC Championship advances to the NCAA Tournament.
"Great match," said Akron head coach Brandon Padgett. "Buffalo played like we knew they would– extremely hard. They're a very talented team. This is a tough environment to play in. The fans were great. We played a little bit better on the bigger points than they did, and I think that was the difference for us."
With today's victory, Akron advances to the MAC Championship match for the third time in program history. On its two prior trips in 2011 and 2012, UA won the MAC Tournament championship– also as the No. 2 seed– under Padgett.
UA started out strong against the Bulls (15-8 overall), earning the doubles point with wins at No. 1 and 2.
At No. 1, junior captain Rita Pedroso (Porto, Portugal) and sophomore Miruna Vasilescu (Ulm, Germany) tied doubles at 1-1 with a 6-3 win over Chantel Martinez Blanco and Nikoleta Antoniou-Karademitrou.
In the deciding match at No. 2, redshirt senior captain Sophia Geier (Burgebrach, Germany and sophomore Anna Uljanov (Schweinfurt, Germany) defeated Arianna Paules Aldrey and Pia Schwarz, 6-3, claiming the team doubles point.
Akron recorded victories in three singles matches. Play was stopped once the match was clinched with four wins.
At No. 1, Geier remained undefeated against MAC opponents with a 6-4, 6-2 decision over Blanco. Geier stands 28-4 in singles action and 20-1 in spring action, all at the No. 1 spot. Geier will finish her collegiate career ranked No. 2 in career singles wins (currently has 105) and combination singles/doubles wins (currently has 176) while her 71 doubles victories rank No. 11 on the career chart.
At No. 3, Uljanov beat Antoniou-Karademitrou in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3.
At No. 5, senior Luisa Echeverry (Cali Colombia) defeated Emel Abibula, 6-3, 6-4.
"I couldn't be happier for my team. This has been a long time coming," he added. "Luisa stepped up big for us. She struggled in conference play, and today picked up a big win for us. I'm just really, really happy for them."
#2 AKRON 4, #6 BUFFALO
MAC Semifinal | Miller Tennis Center | Buffalo, N.Y.
April 27, 2019
Doubles:
1. Rita Pedroso/Miruna Vasilescu (Akron) def. Chantel Martinez Blanco/Nikoleta Antoniou-Karademitrou (UB), 6-3
2. Sophia Geier/Anna Uljanov (Akron) def. Arianna Paules Aldrey/Pia Schwarz (UB), 6-3
3. Emel Abibula/Hsin-Yuan Shih (UB) def. Carla Flores/Ceci Rosas (Akron), 6-0
Singles:
1. Sophia Geier (Akron) def. Chantel Martinez Blanco (UB), 6-4, 6-2
2. Miruna Vasilescu (Akron) vs. Pia Schwarz (UB), 0-6, 6-2, 3-3 unfinished
3. Anna Uljanov (Akron) def. Nikoleta Antoniou-Karademitrou (UB), 6-3, 6-3
4. Rita Pedroso (Akron) vs. Hsin-Yuan Shih (UB), 6-2, 4-6, 2-2 unfinished
5. Luisa Echeverry (Akron) def. Emel Abibula (UB), 6-3, 6-4
6. Ceci Rosas (Akron) vs. Sanjana Sudhir (UB), 6-4, 6-5, unfinished
Order of Finish:
Doubles– 3, 1, 2
Singles– 3, 5, 1
Team Records:
#2 seed Akron (21-5 overall)
#6 seed Buffalo (15-8 overall)
2019 MAC WOMEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
University at Buffalo | Miller Tennis Center | Buffalo, N.Y.
April 26-28, 2019
Friday, April 26 | Quarterfinals Results:
Match 1: No. 4 seed Ball State 4, No. 5 seed Toledo 1
Match 2: No. 6 seed Buffalo 5, No. 3 seed Western Michigan 0
Saturday, April 27 | Semifinal Results:
Match 3: No. 1 seed Miami 4, No. 4 seed Ball State 0
Match 4: No. 2 seed Akron 4, No. 6 seed Buffalo 0
Sunday, April 28 | Championship Final:
Match 5: No. 1 seed Miami vs. No. 2 seed Akron, Noon
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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