Sunday, February 05, 2006

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (February 5, 2006) - The ETSU women's tennis team continued their winning ways, defeating Alabama A&M and conference foe Kennesaw State, Sunday in the Memorial Center. The Lady Bucs improve to 4-1 on the season.

In the first match of the day against Alabama A&M, Sylwia Ziolkowska (Warsaw, Poland) and Elena Volobueva (Barcelona, Spain) defeated Shaniek Pinder and Regina Monique Jones, 8-3 in No. 2 doubles. In the No. 1 position Sandie Knight (Adamstown, Australia) and Masha Ilina (Kyiv, Ukraine) defeated Charlene Tsangawme and Batsirai Bvunzawabaya, 8-3 to clinch the doubles point. Olya Batsula (Minsk, Belarus) and Tara Byrne (Johnson City, Tenn.) won by default.

In singles action, senior Sylwia Ziolkowska picked up her first win of the season defeating Charlene Tsangawme, 6-2, 7-5 at the No. 1 position, while Elena Volobueva defeated Shaniek Pinder, 6-1, 7-5 in the No. 2 position. In No. 3 singles, freshman Tara Byrne defeated Regina Monique Jones, 5-7, 6-0, with a super tie-breaker of 10-3. Freshman Vita Moskaliova (Minsk, Belarus) defeated 6-3, 6-2, while Sandie Knight defeated Brittany Woodgett, 6-0, 6-0 in the No. 5 slot. In the No. 6 position Olya Batsula won by default.

In the first set of play, senior Sandie Knight scored a straight 24 points to win the set, 6-0, a first in ETSU history and in her career.

In match two against Kennesaw State, the Lady Bucs swept the Owls, winning all three sets. Olya Batsula and Tara Byrne defeated Paula Takara and Giselle Nakakura, 8-2 in the No. 1 position while Sylwia Ziolkowska and Elena Volobueva defeated Ashley Schumacher and Caroline Page, 8-0 in the doubles slot. In No. 3 doubles, Sandie Knight and Masha Ilina defeated Jessica Fischetti and Lindsey Teoli, 8-0.

In singles action the Lady Bucs again dominated, winning all six sets. At the No. 1 position Junior Masha Ilina defeated Paula Takara, 6-1, 6-4 while sophomore Elena Volobueva defeated Karen Ammann, 6-1, 6-1. Senior Sylwia Ziolkowska defeated Giselle Nakakura, 6-0, 6-0 at the No. 3 slot. Olya Batsula defeated Jessica Fischetti while senior Sandie Knight defeated Caroline Page. In No. 6 singles, Vita Moskaliova defeated Ashley Schumacher, 6-3, 6-1.

"I'm real happy with the results of the overall weekend, we played well all weekend," said head coach Steve Brooks, "beating Alabama A&M and being pushed into the second set, to experience that and to come out victorious is real good. Against Kennesaw State, getting our first victory in the Atlantic Sun in our first season, is big, especially 7-0 in our third match in about a 24-hour period. We just need to keep working the way we're working because we're doing well."

ETSU women's tennis team takes on conference opponent Mercer and Tusculum College, next Sunday, February 12, with the action starting at 9 a.m.

ETSU 7, Alabama A&M 0

Singles

No. 1- Sylwia Ziolkowska (ETSU) def. Charlene Tsangamwe (AAMU) 6-2, 7-5
No. 2- Elena Volobueva (ETSU) def. Shaniek Pinder (AAMU) 6-1, 7-5 
No. 3- Tara Byrne (ETSU) def. Regina Monique Jones (AAMU) 5-7, 6-0, 10-3
No. 4- Vita Moskaliova (ETSU) def. Batsirai Bvunzawabaya (AAMU) 6-3, 6-2
No. 5- Sandie Knight (ETSU) def. Brittany Woodgett (AAMU) 6-0, 6-0
No. 6- Olya Batsula (ETSU) by default

Doubles

No. 1- Knight/Ilina (ETSU) def. Tsangamwe/Bvunzawabaya (AAMU) 8-3
No. 2- Ziolkowska/Volobueva (ETSU) def. Pinder/Jones (AAMU) 8-3
No. 3- Batsula/Byrne (ETSU by default

ETSU 7, Kennesaw State 0

Singles

No. 1- Masha Ilina (ETSU) def. Paula Takara (KSU) 6-1, 6-4
No. 2- Elena Volobueva (ETSU) def. Karen Ammann (KSU) 6-1, 6-1
No. 3- Sylwia Ziolkowska (ETSU) def. Giselle Nakakura (KSU) 6-0, 6-0
No. 4- Olya Batsula (ETSU) def. Jessica Fischetti (KSU) 6-0, 6-4
No. 5- Sandie Knight (ETSU) def. Caroline Page (KSU) 6-0, 6-0
No. 6- Vita Moskaliova (ETSU) def. Ashley Schumacher (KSU) 6-3, 6-1

Doubles

No. 1- Batsula/Byrne (ETSU) def. Takara/Nakakura (KSU) 8-2
No. 2- Ziolkowska/Volobueva (ETSU) def. Schumacher/Page (KSU) 8-3
No. 3- Knight/Ilina (ETSU) def. Fischetti/Teoli (KSU) 8-0