LEONCHUK, RAMS LOCK UP NITTANY LIONS, 5-2, PICK UP SIXTH STRAIGHT WIN

RICHMOND, Va. – It seems that seniors Olena Leonchuk (Kiev, Ukraine) and Laura Burns (Hertford, England) have saved their best for their final season.

The veteran duo once again stepped up and led the 27th-ranked Virginia Commonwealth University women's tennis team to a victory, their sixth-straight, this time it was over the Nittany Lions of Penn State, 5-2.

Leonchuk is now an impressive 10-1 this spring, while Burns is 9-1 after both of them picked up straight set victories on Saturday. Leonchuk topped Michaela Stracar, 6-1, 6-1, while Burns defeated Lauren McCarthy, 6-0, 6-3.

Junior Kateryna Yergina (Kiev, Ukraine) and freshman sensation Josefin Hjertquist (Spanga, Sweden) joined the straight-set victory club with wins at #3 and #2 singles, respectively.
The Rams also swept through the doubles competition with all three duos picking up 8-2 wins.

VCU returns to the court on Sunday afternoon when the Cyclones of Iowa State visit Thalhimer Tennis Center in a 12 p.m. showdown.

#27 VCU 5, Penn State 2

Doubles:
1. Ana Bara/Hjertquist def. Lotto/Januskova (PSU), 8-2
2. Burns/Yergina def. Simidian/Prishlyak (PSU), 8-2
3. Alex Bara/Leonchuk def. McCarthy/Stracar (PSU), 8-2
Order of finish: 1,2,3

Singles:
1. Petra Januskova (PSU) def. Ana Bara, 6-1, 6-0
2. Hjertquist def. Sarah Lotto (PSU), 6-1, 6-2
3. Yergina def. Maria Prishlyak (PSU), 6-2, 6-2
4. Amy Simidian (PSU) def. Alex Bara, 3-6, 6-3, 10-7
5. Burns def. Lauren McCarthy (PSU), 6-0, 6-3
6. Leonchuk def. Michaela Stracar (PSU), 6-1, 6-1
Order of finish: 2,1,5,3,4,6