Friday, September 12, 2008

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Sept. 12, 2008) - After heavy fog and rain pushed back the start of the tournament, both senior Tara Byrne (Johnson City, Tenn.) and junior No. 63^rd Yevgeniya Stupak (Kyiv, Ukraine) had impressive starts to the 2008 season advancing to the singles semifinals, of the USC Upstate Fall Classic, in Spartanburg, S.C.

In bracket A freshman Paula Jamie (Madrid, Spain), competing in her first collegiate tennis match, dropped her opening contest to Charleston Southern's Marija Dzakovic. Dzakovic then advanced to the quarterfinals facing another Buc in Stupak. In the match Stupak, the highest preseason ranked player in the A-Sun, took control early winning in straight sets 6-0, 6-3.

ETSU would find similar success in the bottom part of bracket A as freshman Karina Kedzo advanced in her opening match, defeating Andrea Schutte of Charleston Southern (3-6, 7-5, 6-3). After the comeback win, Kedzo would then face teammate Byrne in bracket B's quarterfinals. Kedzo would put a fight, but the experience of Byrne would serve too much for the newcomer, as the Johnson City native picked up her first win of the season.

With the wins both Byrne and Stupak advance to Saturday's bracket A semifinal matches, as Byrne will face last years A-Sun Women's Player of the Year in USC Upstate's Anna Novo. On the opposite side of the field, Stupak will take on Brook Pletcher of Charleston Southern.

Bracket B may have been some different draws for the Bucs, but still resulted in a similar finish.as junior Whitney Trotter (Guadalajara, Mexico) advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating WCU's Layne Arnold in straight sets 6-2, 6-1. In her quarterfinal match Trotter came out quick dismissing Ashley Lawrence of Wofford 6-4, with Lawrence retiring due to injury, earning Trotter a spot in the Bracket B singles semifinals. Fellow ETSU teammate and sophomore Andra Volnea (Brasov, Romaina) dropped her opening second-round singles match to Wofford's Sania Anand 6-2, 6-4.

In doubles action the ETSU team of Byrne and Kedzo advance to the semifinals after winning both of its matches Friday. Joining them in the round of eight are the Bucs team of Stupak and Jamie, who advanced after defeating Charleston Southern's Akhimien and Torres 8-1. 

For information of the women's tennis and day two results, visit www.ETSUBUCS.com.