FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 9-25-00

This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics

Monday, September 25
• Women's Tennis hosts ITA Regional Qualifier

Tuesday, September 26
No Events Scheduled

Wednesday, September 27
• Volleyball at North Florida, 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, September 28
No Events Scheduled

Friday, September 29
• Volleyball vs. USC Spartanburg, 7:00 p.m.
• Men's Tennis hosts ITA Regional Qualifier

Saturday, September 30
• Volleyball vs. Lander, 4:00 p.m.
• Women's Cross Country at Bulldog Stampede (Athens, Ga.)
• Men's Tennis hosts ITA Regional Qualifier

Sunday, October 1
• Men's Tennis hosts ITA Regional Qualifier

Volleyball (13-3, 2-0 Peach Belt, No. 24 AVCA Division II Top 25)

The AASU volleyball team won its first two matches of the Peach Belt season, defeating Augusta State, 3-1, and USC Aiken, 3-0, over the weekend.

Sophomore Sarah Haynes led the Pirates against Augusta State with 14 kills, while senior Micah Roman paced AASU against USC Aiken with 15 kills and 18 digs. AASU is tied for first place in the Peach Belt with a 2-0 mark.

This week, the Pirates travel to Jacksonville, Fla., for a midweek clash with No. 25 North Florida on Wed., Sept. 27 at 7:00 p.m., then host USC Spartanburg on Fri., Sept. 29 at 7:00 p.m. and Lander on Sat., Sept. 30 at 4:00 p.m.

Cross Country (No. 4 South Region Rankings)

Senior Nikki Garland keeps her winning streak alive, leading AASU to the USC Spartanburg cross country invitational title and winning her fourth race in four tries this season.

Garland paced the field over the six kilometer course in a time of 22:38.52, one and a half minutes ahead of her nearest competitor. Sophomore Jillian Charles placed sixth in a time of 25:17.15, followed closely by senior Marie-Claude Ostiguy, who finished seventh in a time of 25:17.64. Senior Amanda Lagesse finished 12th in a time of 25:38.24, while freshmen Zsofi Golopencza (19th, 27:07.33) and Sarah Harris (29th, 28:47.57) rounded out the Pirates' scoring.

AASU finished with 45 points, finishing ahead of Carson-Newman (53 points), Lander (93 points) and Queens (123 points).

The Pirates next travel to Athens, Ga., for the Bulldog Stampede on Sat., Sept. 30.

Men's and Women's Tennis

AASU hosted the ITA Southeast Regional Qualifier this weekend, with 54 players from 12 schools traveling to compete in singles and doubles competition for berths in the Rolex National Tennis Championships.

AASU sophomore Michaela Kratochvilova,, the No. 2 seed, advanced to the semifinals of the singles bracket, defeating Kennesaw State's Marcela Guerrero, 6-1, 6-1, Lynn's Maria Palacios, 6-1, 6-3, and Georgia College & State's Megan Hughes, 6-2, 6-0. In her semifinal match against the No. 3 seed, Lilia Biktyakova of GC&SU, she won the first set, 6-2, but had to default due to heat exhaustion.

AASU freshman Laura Puch won her first two maches in the singles competition, defeating Kennesaw State's Whitney Hope, 6-0, 6-0, and West Georgia's Eva Andrews, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, before falling in the third round to Clayton State's Jackie Nieto, 6-2, 6-3. AASU freshman Alejandra Aguilar lost her first match in the singles competition, 6-1, 7-5 to Augusta State's Maria Svensson, but swept through the consolation singles bracket, winning the consolation singles title, 8-1 over Megan George of Kennesaw State.

This weekend, the AASU men will host the ITA Southeast Regional Qualifier from Fri., Sept. 29 to Mon., Oct. 2.

Men's Golf

The AASU men's golf team competed in its first intercollegiate tournament in 13 years, finishing 12th in the Johnny Palmer/Old North State Invitational in Badin Lake, N.C., hosted by Pfeiffer University on the Old North State Club.

The Pirates' all-freshman lineup carded rounds of 313 and 305 for a two-day total of 618, 42 strokes over par. AASU finished in 12th place, 36 strokes behind team champion North Carolina State.

Individually, Andrew Suggs led the Pirates, finishing in a tie for 16th with a two-day total of 149, five strokes over par. Bill Faith finished in a tie for 35th with a nine-over-par 153 total, while Thomas Whittaker and Travis Kelly each fired 14-over-par 158 scores to finish tied for 63rd. Jonathan Norman rounded out the Pirate scoring with a 168 total, finishing in a tie for 109th.

The Pirate golfers next travel to Barton College on Oct. 8-10 to compete in the Barton College Invitational in Gram, N.C.

- Pirates -