TOWSON, Md., April 15, 2012 - In its final regular-season match the James Madison women's tennis team swept Towson 7-0. The win was the second straight sweep for the Dukes, and improved the team to 11-5 on the season, including a 3-2 mark in the Colonial Athletic Association.
JMU started with a sweep of doubles competition. In the No. 1 spot, senior Kinsey Pate (Matthews, N.C./Butler) and freshman Taylor Pinchoff (Sylvan Lake, Mich./West Bloomfield) earned an 8-3 victory over Aandria Carr and Ariel Burke. In the No. 2 spot, juniors Katherine Bulling (Loveland, Ohio/Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy) and Michelle Nguyen (Springfield, Va./South County) teamed up for an 8-7 victory over Andrea Samlin and Nani Lizana. The tightly-contested win earned Madison the doubles point.
At No. 3 doubles, sophomores Jacqueline Palmucci (Aurora, Colo./Cherokee Trail) and Ruxandra Andriescu (Brampton, Ontario, Canada/Turner Fenton) defeated Nisha Shah and Ayana Dow 8-2 for the doubles sweep.
The Dukes continued to show their dominance throughout singles play. Bulling got the first singles win for Madison, taking down Burke 6-1, 6-0, in No. 5, putting JMU up 2-0. Next up, Pate blew by Carr at No. 1, 6-2, 6-1, to give Madison a commanding lead. Junior Megan Douglass (Wilton, Conn./St. Lukes) then solidified the Dukes' win, earning Madison's fourth point in the No. 4 spot. She took down Samlin 6-1, 6-2.
At No. 2, Palmucci defeated Shah, 6-1, 6-1, to give JMU a five-point lead, and Andriescu beat out Cailey Easdale at the No. 6 position, 6-1, 6-4, to put the Dukes in position for the sweep. Pinchoff completed that feat, taking down Dow in the last match of the day, 6-0, 7-6.
The Dukes return to action, either Thursday, April 19 or Friday, April 20, depending on their seed, which will be determined during a conference call with the coaches on Monday.
James Madison 7, Towson 0
April 15, 2012
Doubles
#1 Pate/Pinchoff (JMU) def. Carr/Burke 8-3
#2 Bulling/Nguyen (JMU) def. Samlin/Lizana 8-7
#3 Palmucci/Andriescu (JMU) def. Shah/Dow 8-2
Singles
#1 Pate (JMU) def. Carr 6-2, 6-1 (2)
#2 Palmucci (JMU) def. Shah 6-1, 6-1 (4)
#3 Pinchoff (JMU) def. Dow 6-0, 7-6 (6)
#4 Douglass (JMU) def. Samlin 6-1, 6-2 (3)
#5 Bulling (JMU) def. Burke 6-1, 6-0 (1)
#6 Andriescu (JMU) def. Easdale 6-1, 6-4 (5)
