Friday, February 29, 2008

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (February 29, 2008) - The Lady Buccaneer tennis team opened Atlantic Sun conference action with a 5-1 victory over the Kennesaw State Owls on Friday afternoon. The Lady Bucs improve to 4-5 overall and 1-0 in conference play, while Kennesaw State falls to 3-3, 0-1.

ETSU jumped out to an early lead as they claimed the doubles point, sweeping all three matches. In the No. 1 position the 56-th ranked duo of Yevgeniya Stupak (Kyiv, Ukraine) and Olya Batsula (Minsk, Belarus) breezed by Paula Takara and Mercedes Cobos, 8-0 while Tara Byrne (Johnson City, Tenn.) and Tara Sheets (Gate City, Va.) dropped Karan Ammann and Lindsay Dillon in the third position, 8-2. Elena Volobueva (Barcelona, Spain) and Whitney Trotter (Guadalajara, Mexico) defeated Agatha Palider and Ayano Tanaka, 8-3 in the No. 2 slot to complete the sweep.

In singles action, No. 89 Yevgeniya Stupak cruised past Mercedes Cobos, 6-0, 6-1 in the top position, while Andra Voinea (Brasov, Romania) defeated Karen Ammann, 6-2, 6-0 in the No. 4 slot. Competing in No. 6 singles, Elena Volobueva dropped Allison Baulis, 6-2, 6-2 while Olya Batsula breezed by Agatha Palider, 6-1, 6-1 in the No. 3 slot.

The Owls collected their lone point in the fifth position when Tara Sheets fell to Paula Takara, 7-5, 6-2. The match between Tara Byrne and Ayano Tanaka was suspended due to rain with Byrne up by one set, 7-6(4), 3-3.

"It was good to pick up a win today and start the conference season with a victory. Today was the first time we've played outside at home this season and that was a bit of an adjustment. But overall I felt that the girls played well and we look forward to having another great season in the Atlantic Sun," said head coach Steve Brooks.

The Lady Bucs will hit the courts again tomorrow, March 1 as they take on conference opponent Mercer. The match is slated to begin at 1:30 p.m. For all Lady Bucs tennis action visit www.ETSUBucs.com.

ETSU 5, KSU 1

Singles

No. 1- #89 Yevgeniya Stupak (ETSU) def. Mercedes Cobos (KSU) 6-0, 6-1

No. 2- Tara Byrne (ETSU) led Ayano Tanaka (KSU) 7-6(4), 3-3, unfinished

No. 3- Olya Batsula (ETSU) def. Agatha Palider (KSU) 6-1, 6-1

No. 4- Andra Voinea (ETSU) def. Karen Ammann (KSU) 6-2, 6-0

No. 5- Paula Takara (KSU) def. Tara Sheets (ETSU) 7-5, 6-2

No. 6- Elena Volobueva (ETSU) def. Allison Baulis (KSU) 6-2, 6-2

Doubles

No. 1- #56 Stupak/Batsula (ETSU) def. Takara/Cobos (KSU) 8-0

No. 2- Volobueva/Trotter (ETSU) def. Pallider/Tenaka (KSU) 8-3

No. 3- Byrne/Sheets (ETSU) def. Ammann/Dillon (KSU) 8-2