Buffalo Bulls Tennis weekend recap: Men top Cleveland State, Women fall at West Virginia, Pitt

The UB Men came back from a two week absence and two-match losing streak to grab a 5-2 home win this weekend over Cleveland State, while the Women hit the road for perhaps their toughest two matches yet, and a pair of losses to power-conference schools West Virginia (4-3) and Pitt (6-1).

Men

After a pair of losses a few weeks ago, the Men got back on the right foot this afternoon over the Vikings. Noah Hajdu-Andersson was out of action for the Bulls, opening a spot for Tony Miller to get his first competition of the spring. The junior stepped right into Hajdu-Andersson's doubles spot alongside Akhil Mehta as well as #5 singles.

The result was a 5-2 win built not on UB's ability to withstand an injury or other absence, but based on strength at the top of the lineup. Amar Hromic and Pablo Alvarez got UB the upper hand in doubles with a quick 6-4 win at #1, and though the Bulls would sweep the doubles sets, the point was a lot less nerve-racking as both #3 (7-6 (3)) and #2 (7-6 (6)) went to tiebreakers.

In singles, UB once again got a quick jump from the top of the lineup when Hromic and Alvarez won in straight sets, and another two-set win at #6 from Akhil Mehta gave UB the win. All that happened quickly enough that Ethan Nittolo's third set hadn't yet started and was contested as a first-to-ten breaker and Cleveland State's first win of the afternoon. Sergio Arevalillo closed out and Miller lost straight-set decisions to close the day.

Doubles:

1. Amar Hromic/Pablo Alvarez (UB) def. VanMeter/Mick (CSU), 6-3, 6-4
2. Tony Miller/Akhil Mehta (UB) def. Goth/Slade (CSU), 7-6(6)
3. Sergio Arevalillo/Ethan Nittolo (UB) def. Buffington/Radosevic (CSU), 7-6(3)

Singles:

1. Hromic (UB) def. Buffington (CSU), 6-3, 6-4
2. Alvarez (UB) def. Radosevic (CSU), 6-2, 6-3
3. Arevalillo (UB) def. VonMeter (CSU), 7-6, 6-3
4. Goth (CSU) def. Nittolo (UB), 6-3, 4-6, 10-4
5. Slade (CSU) def. Miller (UB), 6-2, 7-6
6. Mehta (UB) def. Mick (CSU), 6-3, 6-2

Women

If the WVU Invitational this past fall was any indication, a tight dual against the Mountaineers should have been no surprise, and a 4-3 loss isn't the worst way to get your first defeat of the year. Today, a 6-1 loss at Pitt was a bitterer pill to swallow.

Two weekends ago, a 3-3 tie against Duquesne turned into a UB win when freshman Chantal Martinez Blanco claimed a three-set win at #2 singles. Against WVU, #2 wasn't the last match standing, but Martinez Blanco's 6-2, 3-6, 3-6 loss was the fourth Mountaineer point before Buffalo got wins from freshmen Mercedes Losada Rubio and Sanjana Sudhir at #5 and #6 to end the match. Margarita Kotok and Laura Holterbosch each fell in straight sets in the middle of the lineup, while Tanja Stojanovska won her third set at #1 to extend UB chances just before Martinez Blanco fell.

Against Pitt only Losada Rubio took a win, and she was the only Bull to force a third set in singles. Holterbosch and Christine Haraldson did win their doubles set. They'll return home for matches against Youngstown State and Binghamton next weekend.

Doubles:

1. Hailey Barrett/Habiba Shaker (WVU) def. Dayana Agasieva/Margarita Kotok (UB), 7-5
2. Tanja Stojanovska/Chantal Martinez Blanco (UB) def. Paula Goetz/Carolina Lewis (WVU), 6-2
3. Lyn Yuen Choo/Kaja Mrgole (WVU) def. Christine Haraldson/Laura Holterbosch (UB), 6-3

Singles:

1. Tanja Stojanovska (UB) def. Hailey Barrett (WVU), 2-6, 6-3, 6-3
2. Habiba Shaker (WVU) def. Chantal Martinez Blanco (UB), 2-6, 6-3, 6-3
3. Paula Goetz (WVU) def. Margarita Kotok (UB), 6-1, 6-1
4. Carolina Lewis (WVU) def. Laura Holterbosch (UB), 6-4, 6-4
5. Mercedes Losada Rubio (UB) def. Lyn Yuen Choo (WVU), 6-3, 6-4
6. Sanjana Sudhir (UB) def. Yvon Martinez (WVU), 3-6, 6-3, 10-3

Doubles:

1. Amber Washington/Lolade Ogungbesan (UP) def. Dayana Agasieva/Margarita Kotok (UB); 6-2
2. Audrey Ann Blakely/Gabriela Rezende (UP) def. Tanja Stojanovska/Chantal Blanco (UB); 7-5
3. Laura Holterbosch/Christine Haraldson (UB) def. Callie Frey/Natsumi Okamoto (UP); 6-3

Singles:

1. Audrey Ann Blakely (UP) def. Tanja Stojanovska (UB); 6-1, 7-6 
2. Lolade Ogungbesan (UP) def. Chantal Blanco (UB); 6-1, 6-0
3. Callie Frey (UP) def. Margarita Kotok (UB); 6-3, 7-6 
4. Gabriela Rezende (UP) def. Laura Holterbosch (UB); 6-3, 6-3
5. Mercedes Losada Rubio (UB) def. Clara Lucas (UP); 6-4, 6-7, 10-5
6. Amber Washington (UP) def. Sanjana Sudhir (UB); 6-1, 6-2