Sports Briefs

Women’s tennis extends streak

CHARLOTTESVILLE – The 25th-ranked VCU’s women’s tennis team extended their win streak to 13 matches with a 6-1 victory over No. 69 Virginia.

The undefeated doubles pair of senior Olga Borisova (Minsk, Belarus) and sophomore Marianna Yuferova (St. Petersburg, Russia) won their ninth match of the season.

In singles, Yuferova rallied for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 triumph over Kristen James, a former Virginia high school state tennis champion.

Borisova and Viktoria Konstantinova (St. Petersburg, Russia) were the other Rams to claim singles and doubles victories.

BLACKSBURG – The Rams dropped another in-state rival on Sunday, defeating Virginia Tech 7-0 for their 14th straight win.

Assistant coach to return to pros

After playing 25 games with the San Antonio Stars last season, VCU women’s basketball assistant coach Wendy Palmer-Daniel recently signed a contract to play for the Women’s National Basketball Association’s Seattle Storm. This is her first season on Rams head coach Beth Cunningham’s staff.

Elsewhere
in the world of sports…

Cocktails and knives don’t mix
HELSINKI, Finland – Former world champion ski jumper Matti Nykanen was charged Thursday with attacking his wife while in a drunken stupor and striking a man with a cutlery knife in a restaurant three days earlier.
Nykanen was charged with two counts of assault. The alleged attacks came days after Nykanen completed a 13-month sentence for stabbing a drinking companion. If found guilty Nykanen faces several years in prison.
In 2004, Nykanen was sentenced to more than two years in prison for aggravated assault after stabbing a drinking partner. He was released on good behavior.
He also drew a four-month suspended sentence in 2004 for attacking his wife with a knife during an alleged drinking spree in Austria.
Nykanen won 19 medals in the Olympics and world championships from 1982 to 1990, the most by a ski jumper. Since retiring, Nykanen took up a career as a singer and performed in bars and nightclubs.

Hollingsworth recognized in USA Today

Redshirt freshman Quanitra Hollingsworth (Chesapeake/Great Bridge High School) was recognized in a USA Today article as one of the “freshmen making an impact.” The 6-4 center was acknowledged for leading the Rams in almost every major statistical category, averaging14.9 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and hitting 52.3 percent of her shots.

Women’s soccer announces recruits

Four high school seniors committed to play for VCU this fall:

 Amanda Adams (Salem High

School), midfielder

 Emily Arpidone (Strongsville,

Ohio), midfielder

 June Hartman (Virginia Beach/

Tallwood High School), forward

 Cara Howard (Newport News/

Menchville High School), defender