March 14, 2002

LAS VEGAS - The 27th-ranked UNLV women's tennis team eked out all four three-set singles matches and ultimately shut out No. 48 Pennsylvania 7-0 at the Fertitta Tennis Complex Wednesday.

The Lady Rebels improved to 9-2 on the year, including 8-1 at home, and posted their second blanking of a ranked team this spring.

UNLV began the day by winning two of three doubles matches for one team point. Each winning by the score of 8-4 were the Lady Rebel teams of Marianne Bakken and Gyorgyi Zsiros at No. 2 and Tracie Chong and Leentjie Oosthuizen at No. 3.

In singles play, UNLV's unranked Paulina Janus fought off three set points to rally for a 1-5, 7-5, 6-4 upset over 20th-ranked Alice Pirsu at the top spot, which represented the highest-ranked win in Janus' two-year division-one career.

Zsiros, ranked 92nd, breezed at the second position, 6-1, 6-3 over Nikki Ptak while Bakken also won in straight sets 7-5, 6-3 on the sixth court. Winning three-setters for the home team were Agnieszka Abram at No. 3, Chong at No. 4 and Oosthuizen at No. 5.

"This match was a lot closer than the final score showed," UNLV head coach Kevin Cory said. "Penn has an excellent team so I am proud of the way we fought today. When the pressure was on, we got tougher and hopefully that carries over into our next match."

The Lady Rebels host No. 30 Indiana Friday beginning at 2 p.m.

UNLV WOMEN'S TENNIS RESULTS
(#27) UNLV 7, (#48) PENNSYLVANIA 0
At Fertitta Tennis Complex, Las Vegas
SINGLES-(UNLV EARNS SIX TEAM POINTS)1. Paulina Janus (UNLV) def. (20) Alice Pirsu (PENN)    1-6, 7-5, 6-42. (92) Gyorgyi Zsiros (UNLV) def. Nikki Ptak (PENN)   6-1, 6-33. Agnieszka Abram (UNLV) def. Raluca Ciulei (PENN)   6-1, 1-6, 6-44. Tracie Chong (UNLV) def. Sanela Kunovac (PENN)    2-6, 6-3, 6-45. Leentjie Oosthuizen (UNLV) def. Shelah Chao (PENN) 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 (10-8)6. Marianne Bakken (UNLV) def. Rachel Shweky (PENN)   7-5, 6-3
DOUBLES-(UNLV EARNS ONE TEAM POINT)1. Ciulei/Chao (PENN) def. Janus/Abram (UNLV)           8-52. Bakken/Zsiros (UNLV) def. Kunovac/Shweky (PENN)      8-43. Chong/Oosthuizen (UNLV) def. Pirsu/Kate Williams (PENN)  8-4