Thursday, April 17, 2003

CHARLESTON, S.C. (April 17, 2003) - Ranked number one in the Southern Conference, the Furman Paladins defeated the eighth-seeded Buccaneers, 4-0, in the second round of the Southern Conference Championships at the City of Charleston Farmfield Courts. Furman earned the doubles' point with wins in the first two matches. Mary Kovarik and Natlie The won the first match, 8-5, over the Buccaneer tandem of Sylwia Ziolkowska (Warsaw, Poland) and Aimee Villavicencio (Lexington, Ky.). Furman's Krista Thompson and Mary Neil Hagood topped Tatiana Arriaran (Cochabamba, Bolivia) and Jewel Aldea (Charleston, S.C.), 8-2, to clinch the point. In singles action, Kovarik defeated Ziolkowska 6-1, 6-0, at number one singles. Furman's The picked up the number three win over Jessica Irey (Clewiston, Fla.), 6-2, 6-2. Lauren Welch clinched the win for the Paladins in number six singles by defeating Villavicencio, 6-0, 6-3. The Buccaneers end their season with an overall record of 12-17. Furman moves on to play fifth seeded Davidson. Furman 4, East Tennessee State 0 Singles #1 Kovarik (FU) def. Sylwia Ziokowska (ETSU) 6-1, 6-0 #2 Hagood (FU) led Gemma Halim (ETSU) DNF 6-4, 3-0 #3 The (FU) def. Jessica Irey (ETSU), 6-2, 6-2 #4 Moore (FU) led Jewel Aldea (ETSU), DNF 6-0, 5-2 #5 Shellie Cochran (FU) led Courtney McInnis (ETSU), DNF 6-4, 5-2 #6 Lauren Welch (FU) def. Aimee Villavicencio (ETSU), 6-0, 6-3 Doubles #1 Mary Kovarik/Natalie The (FU) def. Ziokowska/Villavicencio (ETSU), 8-5 #2 Shannon Moore/Marti Morrie led Halim/Irey (ETSU), DNF 4-7 #3 Krista Thompson/Mary Neil Hagood (FU) def. Arriaran/McInnis (ETSU), 8-3