MALIBU, Calif. – Coming back just 24-hours after a long, difficult match against No. 5 Stanford, the No.18 Pepperdine women’s tennis team defeated Harvard, 6-1, Thursday afternoon, at the Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center.

 

"It was good to have a win after yesterday's loss to Stanford," said assistant coach Scott Doerner. "The match will definitely help the team's confidence." 

 

The Waves (14-4) started the match strong with two wins in doubles, to give them a 1-0 lead over the Crimson (0-11). The No. 2 doubles team of Jill Braverman (Newport Beach, Calif./ Corona Del Mar HS) and Anamika Bhargava (Collierville, Tenn./ Houston HS) finished first with an 8-2 victory over Beier Ko and Samantha Rosekrans (Harvard). The No. 3 team of Tania Rice (Burlington, Ontario, Canada/ Robert Bateman HS) and Anete Bandere (Tukums, Latavia / Tukuma Raina Gimnsazija) clinched the doubles point by defeating Vilsa Curto and Catriona Stewart (Harvard), 8-3.

 

Fatigue from the yesterday’s match showed as several of the Waves singles went to three sets. However, their endurance and intensity prevailed with wins in five of the six single matches. Finishing first Pepperdine in No. 2 singles was Bhargava with a 6-0, 6-1, win over Laura Peterzan (Harvard).

 

"After yesterday I just wanted to come out and get a quick win," said Bhargava. "I went out and stayed on top from the begining, playing the baseline like Coach Doerner told me to." 

 

Rice finished second for the Waves defeating Margarita Krivitski (Harvard), 6-1, 6-1, in the No. 6 position. Stephanie Schnitter (Harvard) had the lone singles win for the Crimson in No. 4 singles with a victory over Bandere, 3-6, 4-6.

 

With the match score at 3-1, No. 3 singles Bianca Dulgheru (Bucharest, Romania) defeated Samantha Rosekrans (Harvard), 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, to clinch the match for the Waves, 4-1. In another three set match, Sylvia Kosakowski (Downey, Calif./ Warren HS) posted a win over Beier Ko (Harvard)  in No. 1 singles, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. Finishing sixth with the fifth singles win for Pepperdine was Alex Liles (Largo, Florida/ Saddlebrook Prep), defeating Catriona Stewart (Harvard), 6-1, 6-7, 6-1.

 

Next up, the Waves travel north to meet Fresno State, Sunday, April 6, at 12 p.m., in Fresno, Calif.

 

Tennis Match Results

Pepperdine vs. Harvard

March 27, 2008 at Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center

 

#18 Pepperdine 6, Harvard 1

 

Singles Competition

1. Sylvia Kosakowski (Pep) def. Beier Ko (Harvard) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
2. Anamika Bhargava (Pep) def. Laura Peterzon (Harvard) 6-0, 6-1
3. Bianca Dulgheru (Pep) def. Samantha Rosekrans (Harvard) 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
4. Stephanie Schnitter (Harvard) def. Anete Bandere (Pep) 3-6, 4-6
5. Alex Liles (Pep) def. Catriona Stewart (Harvard) 6-1, 6-7, 6-1
6. Tania Rice (Pep) def. Margarita Krivitski (Harvard) 6-1, 6-1

 

Doubles Competition

      1.    Peterzan/Krivitski (Harvard) def. 9-7 Kosakowski/Dulgheru (Pep)

2.      Braverman/Bhargava (Pep) def. Ko/Rosekrans (Harvard) 8-2

3.      Rice/Bandere (Pep) def. Curto/Stewart (Harvard) 8-3