Bergman, Bielik lead No. 8 Deacs to pair of wins
By Daniel Ogle
Assistant Sports Editor

> February 1, 2001

The eighth-ranked Demon Deacon women’s tennis team got its season off to a good start with two wins this weekend at the Indoor Tennis Center.

Head Coach Brian Fleishman’s team defeated Marshall 7-0 Jan. 27 and followed that up with a 5 - 2 defeat of 15th-ranked William & Mary the following day.

“Any time you get two wins you have to be pleased,” Fleishman said. “Marshall was a team that worried me, because they have everything to gain and nothing to lose, but the girls handled it very well. I (also) think we handled William & Mary decisively.”

In their 7-0 pasting of the Thundering Herd, all six of the Deacons were victorious in their singles matches, and the Deacs also took two of the three doubles matches to earn the doubles point.
Junior Janet Bergman, currently ranked sixth nationally, played number one for the Deacons, and defeated Anna Mitina in straight sets 6-2, 6-1. Sophomore Bea Bielik, who is the nation’s top-ranked singles player, was victorious in the second spot, defeating Ana Ceretto 6-2, 6-0.

“Any time you have anybody in the top 10, they are all good competitors and real strong”, Fleishman said. “I don’t think it matters who is at one and who is at two. Right now the factor for me playing Bea at number two is she is coming back from a shoulder injury and I don’t want to throw her to the wolves right after coming back. There is less pressure at two than at one.”

Juniors Maren Haus and Jackie Houston also won in straight sets, as did freshman Elizabeth Proctor, who defeated Meghan Skalsky 6-2, 6-0. In fact, freshman Aimee Smith was the only player who dropped a set for the Deacons, although she dominated Sheila Cabiling after dropping the first set, winning 3-6, 6-0, 6-1.

Bergman and Bielik then teamed up to defeat Mitina and Ceretto 8-4 in the number one doubles match, and Smith and Haus defeated Alice Sukner and Vicky Lee 8-6 to give the Deacons the two doubles wins to secure the doubles point.

The only blemish on the day for the Deacons was that Proctor and Houston fell 8-4 in their doubles match.

The Deacons also were victorious the following day, as they prevailed over 15th-ranked William & Mary.

Bergman, again playing in the number one spot, won in straight sets over Delphine Troch 6-2, 6-1. Bielik was victorious in the number two singles position, as she posted a straight set victory over Carlijn Buis 6-3, 6-2.

Haus and Houston were also straight set winners, as they won their matches 6-1, 6-3 and 6-2, 6-2, respectively.

Fleishman’s two freshmen, Smith and Proctor, both struggled on the day, and were defeated in singles play. Smith fell in straight sets, 7-6, 6-0, while Proctor extended her match to three sets before falling 6-7, 6-3, 7-6.

“Any time you bring a freshman in there is going to be a transition period”, Fleishman said. “I think for my freshmen, it is going to be a year of transition for them to get used to college tennis.”
Before getting into singles play, the Deacons were able to take the doubles point by virtue of winning two of the three doubles matches. Bielik and Bergman were victorious 8-1, and Haus and Smith won 9-8 (8-6) in an tight match over Troch and Buis.

“That was William and Mary’s best (doubles) team,”, Fleishman said. “For Maren and Aimee to win that match, that is big time. It is going to do a lot for their confidence.”

The Demon Deacons return to action Feb. 10, when they travel to South Bend, Ind. to take on 13th-ranked Notre Dame.