Sports Briefs: Wednesday, February 2, 2000

UVA teaches Tennis early-season lesson The Penn men's squad had their first contest of the season this past Saturday in Charlottesville, Va., when they took on No. 23 Virginia. The Cavaliers nearly blanked the Quakers, besting them 7-1 at the Boar's Head Sports Club. Penn sophomore Brian Barki picked up the Quakers' lone win at the No. 6 flight, defeating Jason Romesburg in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4. The Cavaliers swept all three doubles matches to earn two team points before winning five-of-six singles showdowns. The match was played using an experimental format intended to shorten men's collegiate tennis matches, which, among other things, included doubles matches that used an eight-game pro set. Penn senior co-captain Brett Meringoff and freshman Ryan Harwood battled Huntley Montgomery and Brian Vahaly, the nation's No. 23 doubles team, in a relatively tight 8-4 loss at No. 1 doubles. The Penn women got into the act at UVA the next day and lost to the Cavaliers as well. The women's match was tighter, however, as the Quakers fell 6-3. Penn's Lenka Beranova, playing in the No. 1 singles position, defeated Amy O'Donnell in three sets, 3-6, 7-5, 6-2. Quakers sophomore Louani Bascara logged the other singles victory for the Quakers, besting UVA junior Kelly Weaver, 1-6, 6-4, 6-1. One Red and Blue doubles team also managed to register a "W" down south. Senior co-captain Elana Gold and sophomore Carla Dorsey edged UVA's No. 2 doubles team, 9-7. The loss at UVA brought the Quakers to 1-1 on the season, as they had already defeated Temple at Levy Pavilion on January 26. Penn topped the Owls, 7-2, in that showdown on the strength of singles victories at Nos. 3 through 6. --Will Ulrich Caramanico honored Penn women's basketball forward Diana Caramanico was named Ivy League Player of the Week for her efforts in the Quakers' victories over Columbia and Cornell. The junior from Blue Bell, Pa., set a career high on Friday against the Lions with 19 rebounds, then hauled in 20 against the Big Red the following evening. The Quakers have won eight out of nine games. --Jesse Spector