Tuesday, March 28, 2006

ROCK HILL, S.C. (March 28, 2006) - The ETSU women's tennis team fell to Winthrop, 5-2 at the Memorial Courts on Tuesday. The Lady Bucs fall to 17-4 on the season while the Eagles improve to 8-8 on the year.

Winthrop started the day by winning two of the three doubles matches. The Lady Bucs started out tough as sophomore Elena Volobueva (Barcelona, Spain) and Sandie Knight (Adamstown, Australia) defeated Larisa Bekmetova and Malin Sjoqvist, 8-0 in the No. 3 position, but junior Masha Ilina (Kyiv, Ukraine) and senior Sylwia Ziolkowska (Warsaw, Poland) fell at the No. 1 position to Ana Paula Novaes and Paula Takahashi, 8-4. The doubles point was then clinched when sophomore Olya Batsula (Minsk, Belarus) and freshman Tara Byrne (Johnson City, Tenn.) were defeated by Patricia Coimbra and Yolanda Araujo, 8-6.

In No. 1 singles, Masha Ilina was defeated by Ana Paula Novaes, 6-3, 6-3 while Elena Volobueva was defeated by Patricia Coimbra, 6-0, 6-1 in No. 2 singles. Olya Batsula fell to Yolanda Araujo, 6-1, 3-0, ret, in the No. 3 position. Tara Byrne was defeated in No. 4 singles by Paula Takahashi after a hard fought battle, 6-4, 6-7(5), 1-0(10). In No. 5 singles, Sandie Knight defeated Larisa Bekmetova, 4-6, 6-4, 1-0(5). In No. 6 singles, Vita Moskaliova defeated Malin Sjoqvist, 6-0, 6-1.

"It was a very, very windy day and we just didn't get the production from the No. 1 and No. 2 doubles and singles. At the No. 3 singles position, Olya turned her ankle and had to retire. We just didn't have the fight at the No. 1 and No. 2 like we normally do. Hopefully we'll be able to bounce back this weekend against Davidson who beat Winthrop earlier in the year" said head coach Steve Brooks.

The Buccaneers next match is scheduled for Saturday, April 1 against Davidson in Johnson City, Tenn. at 12 p.m.

Winthrop 5, ETSU 2

Singles

1. Ana Paula Novaes (WU) def. Masha Ilina (ETSU) 6-3, 6-3
2. Patricia Coimbra (WU) def. Elena Volobueva (ETSU) 6-0, 6-1
3. Yolanda Araujo (WU) def. Olya Batsula (ETSU) 6-1, 3-0, ret.
4. Paula Takahashi (WU) def. Tara Byrne (ETSU) 6-4, 6-7 (5), 1-0 (10)
5. Sandie Knight (ETSU) def. Larisa Bekmetova (WU) 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (5)
6. Vita Moskaliova (ETSU) def. Malin Sjoqvist (WU) 6-0, 6-1

Finishing Order:
6, 3, 2, 1*, 4, 5

Doubles
1. Novaes/Takahashi (WU) def. Ilina/Ziolkowska (ETSU) 8-4
2. Coimbra/Araujo (WU) def. Batsula/Byrne (ETSU) 8-6
3. Volobueva/Knight (ETSU) def. Bekmetova/Sjoqvist (WU) 8-0

Finishing Order:
3, 1, 2*