Jan. 15, 2012
Ann Arbor, Mich. – Senior Jillian O’Neill, ranked No. 45, led the Georgia Tech women’s tennis team to a 10-1 mark on day two of the Michigan Invitational with a three-set win, 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(4), over 10th-ranked Denise Dy of Washington.
O’Neill battled past Dy in a two-and-a-half hour marathon match to begin the day. Tech posted a perfect 8-0 mark against 27th-ranked Washington in singles, including four matches which went the full three sets.
“Washington is a great team, and it was nice to see all of us get tested today and pushed a little harder,” assistant coach Alison Silverio said. “We raised our level of play on all courts and it was especially big for Jillian to get a top 10 win. It’s a great confidence boost anytime you’re playing a top player and get a victory. We all competed hard and made improvements, which is our goal here, to develop and improve.
“I think the big difference for Jillian was the physicality of the match,” Silverio added. “She’s been putting in a lot of work off the court, which was big for her to go the distance physically. She was down 6-5 in the first set, won a really tough game and the tiebreak, which gave her a lot of momentum that set the tone for the match.”
Senior Caroline Lilley, junior Elizabeth Kilborn and freshman Jasmine Minor all toughed out three-set wins against the Huskies. Lilley defeated Samantha Smith 6-1 in the first set, but dropped the second set 2-6, before winning the decisive third set 6-2 at the second spot in the lineup.
Kilborn, playing the No. 4 position, rallied after losing her first set 3-6, to win the next two sets 6-24, 6-2. After Minor lost the first set 2-6, she cruised to 6-1, 6-2 wins in the next two sets for a win in the fifth position.
Senior Viet Ha Ngo, ranked No. 106, downed Capucine Gregoire 6-4, 6-2 for her second win of the year at the No. 3 spot. Sophomore Muriel Wacker beat UW’s Adrijana Pavlovic, 6-3, 6-1, to improve to 2-0 with two wins over Washington.
Sophomore Alex Anghelescu cruised to a 6-0, 6-1 win over the Huskies’ Riko Whimizu in the No. 8 position and senior Lynn Blau easily defeated Julija Lukac, 6-0, 6-2.
O’Neill teamed with Anghelescu for her second win over a ranked foe on the day with an 8-5 win over Michigan’s 24th-ranked team of Emina Bektas and Brooke Bolender. Blau and Kilborn tallied an 8-3 win over the Wolverine pair of Kristen Dodge and Sarah Lee.
“Jillian and Alex’s win was a really good win over a really good team,” Silverio said. “They complement each other very well on the court with their intensity. They’re both high energy and high intensity, which really makes a difference on the court. It was a big confidence boost for them and for the team.”
The Yellow Jackets will finish their first event of the season with doubles against 24th-ranked Arkansas and singles against 10th-ranked Michigan.
Michigan will be offering live scoring and video here (http://www.mgoblue.com/livestats/m-tennis/indoor-outdoor.html).
Fans are encouraged to follow Georgia Tech women’s tennis on Twitter, @GT_WTEN, and like the Yellow Jackets on Facebook, GTWomensTennis, for an inside look at the program.
SINGLES
Georgia Tech vs. Washington
No. 1 — No. 45 Jillian O’Neill (GT) d. No. 10 Denise Dy (UW), 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (4)
No. 2 — Caroline Lilley (GT) d. Samantha Smith (UW), 6-1, 2-6, 6-2
No. 3 — No. 106 Christina Ngo (GT) d. Capucine Gregoire (UW), 6-4, 6-2
No. 4 — Elizabeth Kilborn (GT) d. Andjela Nemcevic (UW), 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
No. 5 — Jasmine Minor (GT) d. Natali Coronel (UW), 2-6, 6-1, 6-2
No. 6 — Muriel Wacker (GT) d. Adrijana Pavlovic (UW), 6-3, 6-1
No. 7 — Alex Anghelescu (GT) d. Riko Shimizu (UW), 6-0, 6-1
No. 8 — Lynn Blau (GT) d. Julija Lukac (UW), 6-0, 6-2
DOUBLES
Michigan vs. Georgia Tech
No. 1 — Alex Anghelescu /Jillian O’Neill (GT) d. No. 24 Emina Bektas/Brooke Bolender (U-M), 8-5
No. 2 — Mimi Nguyen/Michelle Sulahian (U-M) d. No. 33 Caroline Lilley/Jasmine Minor (GT), 9-8 (0)
No. 3 — Lynn Blau/Elizabeth Kilborn (GT) d. Kristen Dodge/Sarah Lee (U-M), 8-3
— RamblinWreck.com —
