Jaime earns career win No. 90 as Kedzo wins No. 70

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (April 14, 2012) – Senior Paula Jaime (Madrid, Spain) defeated Isabel von Stryk 6-4, 7-5 to claim her 90th collegiate singles victory, as the ETSU women’s tennis team sailed clear past USC Upstate 7-0 in the Senior Day regular season finale on Saturday at the Buddy Hartsell Tennis Center.

Along with Jaime, ETSU’s (11-8, 7-2 A-Sun) departing class consisting of Marine Wieliczko (Rouen, France), Karina Kedzo (Puerto Ordaz Venezuela) and Diana Navrostska (Lviv, Ukraine) all came away with singles victories at No. 3, 4 and 5, respectively. Kedzo’s 6-4, 6-1 win against Hannah Al-Sakati put another dent in ETSU’s record books, moving the senior’s career wins total to 70 and launching her into a tie for 10th in all-time singles victories alongside of Patty Vega.

ETSU’s victory also clinches the Bucs a No. 2 seed and first-round bye in next weekend’s Atlantic Sun Championships, which ETSU will host at the Buddy Hartsell Tennis Center. Meanwhile, USC Upstate (7-14, 4-5 A-Sun) will miss out on a second trip to Johnson City, Tenn., as its season came to an end with the loss.

“This was a definite team effort today,” ETSU assistant coach Travis Sandlant said. “The seniors took care of business like they always do. They’ve built this program to the level of success it has reached; we’ve won multiple conference championships and have gone to the NCAA’s twice. Hopefully they can get us there a third time by taking the title next weekend to solidify themselves as an elite group.”

Navrostska and Kedzo got the doubles action started with an 8-1 defeat of Julie Bell and Al-Sakati in the No. 2 slot, as ETSU took all three matches to win the point. The Bucs' other senior pair of Jaime and Wieliczko were also victorious, 8-5, against Talia Rojas and von Stryk, while sophomore Giulia Andreazza (Balneario Camboriu, Brazil) and freshman Jessica Brumit (Elizabethton, Tenn.) finished off Ana-Sofia Camberos and Maria Tonani, 8-4, to claim the point.

Singles play was all ETSU, with the Bucs taking every match in straight sets on the way to their fifth 7-0 sweep of the season.

Navrostska won the most lopsided match of the day in a 6-0, 6-1 result over Camberos, extending the Lviv, Ukraine native’s winning streak to eight matches as she finishes the regular season with an 8-1 conference mark. Weiliczko finished shortly after with a 6-2, 6-1 beating of Bell, moving the senior’s record in the No. 3 slot to 7-3 this spring.

The sophomore clinched the match at No. 2, as Andreazza evened up her overall and dual records to 14-14, 9-9 with a 6-1, 6-1 decision against Rojas. Kedzo and Jaime then climbed up the ETSU record books with their respective singles victories, before freshman Kelsey Williams (Sunbury, Australia) ended the day with a hard-fought 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 victory at No. 6 against Tonani, moving the newcomer’s winning streak to five-consecutive matches.

The ETSU women’s tennis team now prepares for the 2012 Atlantic Sun Championships which will take place next Friday, April 20, through Sunday, April 22 at the Buddy Hartsell Tennis Center. Quarterfinal action is scheduled for Friday, with semifinal action to take place Saturday before the final on Sunday.

“If we play well and fight hard next weekend, then hopefully the score will take care of itself,” added Sandlant on the team’s play heading into A-Sun Championship weekend. “We have a great shot to give this Championship a run.”

For more information on ETSU tennis, please visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the tennis links.