Friday, April 20, 2007

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (April 20, 2007) - The Lady Bucs tennis team advanced to the semifinals of the 2007 General Shale Brick Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament after downing Mercer, 4-0. The Lady Bucs improve to 16-9 overall, while the Bears fall to 5-19.

The Lady Bucs took the early 1-0 lead as they took the doubles point. Masha Ilina (Kyiv, Ukraine) and Olya Batsula (Minsk, Belarus) rolled over Lauriane Auvergne and Irys Citko, 8-0 in the No. 1 position, while Yevgeniya Stupak (Kyiv, Ukraine) and Elena Volobueva (Barcelona, Spain) defeated Anna Weislander and Kelly Blount, 8-2 in the second slot.. The No. 3 doubles match was called when ETSU took the point.

ETSU again dominated the Bears in singles action. They picked up wins in the No. 1, 2, and 4 positions. Conference tournament play is suspended when one team has clinched the match.  In the No. 1 slot Yevgeniya Stupak defeated Lauriane Auvergne, 6-3, 6-0, as Masha Ilina cruised past Irys Citko, 6-1, 6-1 in the second position. In the No. 4 slot Tara Byrne (Johnson City, Tenn.) breezed by Kelly Blount, 6-0, 6-1.

"I think the girls played pretty normal today. They played like they were supposed to," said head coach Steve Brooks. "They did paid attention to the simple things and did the simple things really well. We've already played and beaten both Stetson and Gardner Webb earlier this season so I think that as long as we win the doubles point tomorrow we will be ok."

The Lady Bucs will face the winner of No. 3 Stetson/No. 4 Gardner Webb tomorrow at 9 a.m. For all ETSU women's tennis action visit www.etsubucs.com.

ETSU 4, MU 0 

Singles

No. 1- Yevgeniya Stupak (ETSU) def. Lauriane Auvergne (MU) 6-3, 6-0

No. 2- Masha Ilina (ETSU) def. Irys Citko (MU) 610, 6-1

No. 3- Olya Batsula (ETSU) vs. Anna Weislander (MU) DNF

No. 4- Tara Byrne (ETSU) def. Kelly Blount (MU) 6-0, 6-1

No. 5- Elena Volobueva (ETSU) vs. Rachel Kerley (MU) DNF

No. 6- Vita Moskaliova (ETSU) vs. Karen Bellman (MU) DNF

Doubles

No. 1- Batsula/Ilina (ETSU) vs. Auvergne/Citko (MU) 8-0

No. 2- Stupak/Volobueva (ETSU) def. Weislander/Blount (MU) 8-2

No. 3- Byrne/Moskaliova (ETSU) def. Kerley/Dias (MU) DNF