Michigan Defeats Furman in First Round of NCAA Women’s Tennis Tournament

May 9, 2008

Michigan and Furman squared off at Clemson University’s Hoke Sloan Tennis Center on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Tennis Championships, with the Wolverines taking down the Paladins, 4-0. Michigan will advance to take on the winner of Friday’s Clemson – Winthrop matchup on Saturday at 11 a.m.

Michigan took the doubles point, with the nation’s 40th ranked Wolverine duo of Tania Mahtani and Chisako Sugiyama taking down Furman’s Laura Gioia and Natasa Manojlovic, 8-4. Michigan clinched the point when Whitney Taney and Rika Tatsuno defeated the Paladins’ Monica Arguello and Lauren Osborne, 8-3. The third match was halted with Michigan’s Lindsey Howard and Denise Muresan leading Furman’s Jessica Preeg and Lauren Tomory, 6-4, as the doubles point was clinched.

In singles, Michigan’s Lindsey Howard downed Natasa Manojlovic at flight six 6-4, 6-1 to win the first singles point. #112 Tania Mahtani beat Furman’s Jessica Preeg 6-2, 6-4 at flight four to earn the team’s third point. Whitney Taney then took out Monica Arguello at flight two 6-4, 6- to clinch the match for the Wolverines.