FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 5-4-01

AASU, Harding Advance To South Region Championship Match

SAVANNAH, Ga. – The No. 4-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State women's tennis team defeated Clark Atlanta, 9-0, to earn a berth in the South Region Championship match against Harding University. Harding advanced to the championship with a 5-3 win over Kennesaw State.

No. 1-seeded AASU (20-5) swept all three doubles matches from No. 4-seeded Clark Atlanta (17-4), then won all six singles matches against the Lady Panthers, who were making their first appearance in the NCAA Division II National Championships. The Lady Pirates will have a chance to make their seventh consecutive NCAA Division II Women's Tennis National Championship, but will have to get past No. 3-seeded Harding to accomplish that feat.

In the day's first match, No. 3-seeded Harding (21-9) sprang the upset on No. 2-seeded Kennesaw State (12-5), winning 5-3. The Owls – playing without No. 1 singles player Gabriele Masiliunaite – won two of three doubles matches but dropped four of five singles matches. Harding, making its first appearance in the NCAA Division II National Championships, won at No. 1 singles as Carolina Banuelos defeated Simmi Rani, 6-4, 6-2, and at No. 2 singles as Pernilla Axelsson defeated Lorraine Rosmuller, 6-4, 4-0, retired. The Lady Bisons also picked up singles wins at No. 4 from Laura Tollett and No. 5 from Daniela Corrales.

Harding and AASU will meet on Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m. in the South Region Championship match. The winner will travel to Pensacola, Fla., for the NCAA Division II Women's Tennis National Championships on Thursday, May 10 through Sunday, May 13.

- Pirates -

No. 1 AASU 9, No. 4 Clark Atlanta 0

Singles
#1 – Zsofi Golopencza (AASU) def. Chanel Brown (CAU) 6-0, 6-2
#2 – Michaela Kratochvilova (AASU) def. Kamilah Smith (CAU) 6-0, 6-1
#3 – Laura Puch (AASU) def. Neiger Green (CAU) 6-1, 6-2
#4 – Danijela Mijic (AASU) def. Autumn Williams (CAU) 6-1, 6-2
#5 – Alejandra Aguilar (AASU) def. Shanavia Brannam (CAU) 6-1, 6-2
#6 – Carolyn Ward (AASU) def. Ivy Prince (CAU) 6-0, 6-1

Doubles
#1 – Kratochvilova/Golopencza (AASU) def. Brown/Green (CAU) 8-1
#2 – Puch/Ward (AASU) def. Williams/Smith (CAU) 8-1
#3 – Aguilar/Mijic (AASU) def Brannam/Stephanie Greene (CAU) 8-2

Records: AASU (20-5), Clark Atlanta (17-4)

No. 3 Harding 5, No. 2 Kennesaw State 3

Singles
#1 – Carolina Banuelos (H) def. Simmi Rani (KSU) 6-4, 6-2
#2 – Pernilla Axelsson (H) def. Loraine Rosmuller (KSU) 6-4, 4-0, retired
#3 – Eva Axelsson (H) and Lisa Sehannie (KSU) did not finish, match clinched
#4 – Laura Tollett (H) def. Mary Spearman (KSU) 5-7, 6-2, 6-3
#5 – Daniela Corrales (H) def. Marcela Guerrero (KSU) 6-2, 6-0
#6 – Megan George (KSU) def. Sarah Campbell (H) 7-5, 6-1

Doubles
#1 – Sehannie/Guerrero (KSU) def. Banuelos/P. Axelsson (H) 8-1
#2 – Rosmuller/Spearman (KSU) def. E. Axelsson/Tollett (H) 8-3
#3 – Corrales/Campbell (H) def. Rani/Leslie Bechtold (KSU) 8-4

Records: Harding (21-9), KSU (12-5)

NCAA Division II Women's Tennis South Regional Site

- Pirates -