Saturday, March 25, 2006

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (March 25, 2006) - The Lady Buccaneers women's tennis team continued their winning ways as ETSU defeated UNC-Charlotte today at the Memorial Center. The Buccaneers now improve to 16-3 on the season while Charlotte falls to 8-4.

In No. 1 doubles action, Masha Ilina (Kyiv, Ukraine) and Sylwia Ziolkowska (Warsaw, Poland) defeated Ashleigh Murray and Ofra Friedman, 8-6. Olya Batsula (Minsk, Belarus) and Tara Byrne (Johnson City, Tenn.) defeated Koren Fleming and Ali Piacente, 8-2, in the No. 2 slot. In the No. 3 doubles position, Sandie Knight (Adamstown, Australia) and Elena Volobueva (Barcelona, Spain) defeated Michelle Alexander and Kathy Robey, 8-5.

The Lady Bucs again dominated in singles action, winning five of the six sets. In No. 1 singles Masha Ilina was defeated by Ofra Friedman after a hard fought battle, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6, while Olya Batsula defeated Kathy Robey, 6-2, 6-4 in the No. 2 position. In No. 3 singles, Elena Volobueva defeated Ali Piacente, 6-1, 6-2. Senior Sandie Knight defeated Ashleigh Murray, 7-6, 1-6, 10-4 in the No. 4 position, while in No. 5 singles Tara Byrne defeated Michelle Alexander, 6-3, 6-0. In the No. 6 position, Sylwia Ziolkowska defeated Koren Fleming, 6-1, 6-0.

The Lady Bucs are back in action tomorrow taking on Western Carolina Catamounts in Culhowee, N.C. at 2:30 p.m.

ETSU 6, UNC-Charlotte 1

Singles

No. 1- Ofra Friedman (UNCC) def. Masha Ilina (ETSU) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6

No. 2- Olya Batsula (ETSU) def. Kathy Robey (UNCC) 6-2, 6-4

No. 3- Elena Volobueva (ETSU) def. Ali Piacente (UNCC) 6-1, 6-2

No. 4- Sandie Knight (ETSU) def. Ashleigh Murray (UNCC) 7-6, 1-6, 10-4

No. 5- Tara Byrne (ETSU) def. Michelle Alexander (UNCC) 6-3, 6-0

No. 6- Sylwia Ziolkowska (ETSU) def. Koren Fleming (ETSU) 6-1, 6-0

Doubles

No. 1- Ilina/Ziolkowska (ETSU) def. Murray/Friedman (UNCC) 8-6

No. 2- Batsula/Byrne (ETSU) def. Fleming/Piacente (UNCC) 8-2

No. 3- Knight/Volobueva (ETSU) def. Alexander/Robey (UNCC) 8-5