Friday, February 09, 2001

Johnson City, Tenn. -- The East Tennessee State women's tennis team took the first three singles matches as well as all three doubles matches en route to a 5-2 win over UNC Asheville Friday afternoon in the Memorial Center.

Leading the Bucs at No. 1 singles was senior Paty Vega. Vega handed UNC Asheville’s Stefanie Shuba a 6-1,6-4 defeat. Mami Inoue had no trouble at No.2 singles as she handily defeated Nancy Livesay 6-0,6-0. In the No.3 singles, Jessica Irey also had no problems and cruised to a 6-1,6-2 win over Sarah Cox. In No.4 singles, Tatiana Arriaran found herself in a tight match with Ashley Jones. In a very close affair, Arriaran bested Jones 6-7 (5), 7-6 (1), 7-5.

The Bucs earned the doubles point by sweeping all three doubles matches. Inoue and Vega teamed to defeat Shuba and Jones by an 8-3 count. ETSU’s Arririan and Susan Torbett were challenged by Cox and Livesay but outlasted the Bulldog pair by taking an 8-6 decision. The final doubles match saw Irey and Aimee Villavicencio take an 8-3 win over Stacey Witkowski and Emily Acker-Estes.

With the win, the Bucs even their season record at 1-1. UNC Asheville falls to 0-2 on the season. The Bucs will return to the courts on Feb. 17 as they open the Southern Conference season on the road at Georgia Southern. Singles 1. Paty Vega (ETSU) def. Stefanie Shuba, 6-1,6-4 2. Mami Inoue (ETSU) def. Nancy Livesay, 6-0,6-0 3. Jessica Irey (ETSU) def. Sarah Cox, 6-1,6-2 4. Tatiana Arriaran (ETSU )def. Ashley Jones, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (1), 7-5 5. Emily Acker-Estes def. Aimee Villavicencio (ETSU) 6-1,6-3 6. Andrea Knight def. Susan Torbett (ETSU) 6-1,6-1 Doubles 1. Vega/Inoue (ETSU) def. Shuba/Jones, 8-3 2. Arriaran/Torbett (ETSU) def. Cox/Livesay, 8-6 3. Irey/Villavicencio (ETSU) def. Witkowski/Acker-Estes 8-3