March 27, 2005
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue picked a fine day to snap an extended losing streak. On Easter Sunday, the 61st-ranked Boilermakers downed Penn State 7-0 for their first win since Feb. 11, ending a streak of seven consecutive losses. The win moved Purdue's record to 3-9 overall and 1-2 in the Big Ten. Penn State fell to 5-7 overall and 0-3 in the league; the Lady Lions have gone nearly two years without winning a conference match (March 28, 2003).
Purdue's 7-0 victory was its first sweep of a Big Ten opponent since April 20, 2003, when it beat Indiana by the same score.
Penn State won the first match that came off the court in doubles, but the Boilermakers rallied to win at No. 3 and No. 1 to take the point.
Purdue cruised in singles, winning all six first sets. Freshman Brooke Beier was the first Boilermaker to post a win, as she defeated Katelyn BeVard 6-3, 6-0 at No. 4.
Next off was Hala Sufi. The 74th-ranked Boilermaker made quick work of Maaria Husain, downing the Lady Lion 6-0, 6-1 at No. 1.
Senior Shawna Zuccarini delivered the match-clinching win at No. 3, beating Sasha Abraham 6-1, 6-4.
Freshman Stephanie Wooten (No. 2), senior Amy Walgenbach (No. 6), and sophomore Alyssa Rodriguez (No. 5) added wins to complete the sweep.
For Sufi, her victory was a long time coming; she last posted a win on Feb. 8, against Western Michigan. More important to the sophomore, however, was the team outcome.
"It felt good to win," Sufi said. "We came out really focused and determined. We didn't break down."
Purdue head coach Mat Iandolo thought the win made a statement.
"Today we showed what we are capable of," Iandolo said. "Penn State is a very good team. To beat them 7-0 sends the message that when we're on top of our game, we can be a factor in this league."
Purdue will return to non-conference action Friday, April 1, when it plays host to Long Beach State at 1 p.m. The Boilermakers have seven Big Ten matches remaining on their regular-season schedule.
#61 Purdue 7, Penn State 0
Singles
1. #74 Hala Sufi (P) def. Maaria Husain (PS) 6-0, 6-1
2. Stephanie Wooten (P) def. Sarah Spence (PS) 6-2, 6-3
3. Shawna Zuccarini (P) def. Sasha Abraham (PS) 6-1, 6-4
4. Brooke Beier (P) def. Katelyn BeVard (PS) 6-3, 6-0
5. Alyssa Rodriguez (P) def. Andreea Niculescu (PS) 6-2, 7-5
6. Amy Walgenbach (P) def. Jenny Schular (PS) 6-1, 3-6, 10-8
Doubles
1. Lara Burgarello/Zuccarini (P) def. Husain/Spence (PS) 9-7
2. Abraham/Schular (PS) def. Beier/Wooten (P) 8-6
3. Rodriguez/Sufi (P) def. Niculescu/McKeown (PS) 8-6
Order of singles finish: 4, 1, 3, 2, 6, 5
Order of doubles finish: 2, 3, 1
* Denotes match-clinching win.
Purdue: 3-9 (1-2 Big Ten)
Penn State: 5-7 (0-3 Big Ten)
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