Burke, Heartfield, Ioannides pace Panthers to victory

            PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Senior Sara Burke (Barrington, R.I.), junior Molly Heartfield (Dorset, Vt.) and freshman Nitsa Ioannides (El Cajon, Calif./Valhalla) were all double winners Wednesday afternoon as Plymouth State University defeated Castleton State College, 6-3, in non-conference women's tennis action at the PE Center Courts.

            Burke and Heartfield each finished the day without losing a game.  The Panther duo started out by sweeping the No. 1 doubles match, 8-0, and each then posted 6-0, 6-0 victories at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, respectively.  Ioannides teamed with classmate Andra Dion (Ashland, N.H.) for an 8-0 victory at No. 2 doubles and followed that with a 6-1, 6-1 decision at No. 3 singles.

            PSU's other victory came at No. 5 singles, where junior Jane Duggan (Saunderstown, R.I.) posted a straight-set triumph (6-1, 6-3).

            Freshman Sara Novenstern (Chappaqua, N.Y.) was a double-winner for the Spartans, teaming up with senior Lauren Fedorka (Temple, N.H.) for a victory at No. 3 doubles and outlasting her Panther opponent at No. 6 singles, 6-4, 7-6 (8-6).  Senior Chelsea Crehan (Essex, Conn.) also posted a win for Castleton at No. 4 singles.

            PSU, 2-2, continues its four-match home stand this Saturday with a key Little East Conference match against the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth at 12 noon.  UMD and PSU were picked second and third in the LEC preseason poll.  Castleton, 2-3, plays its next five matches at home, beginning Saturday vs. Johnson State College.

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