FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2-5-05

Women's Tennis: No. 2 AASU 8, No. 20 Florida Southern 1

Release Courtesy of Florida Southern Sports Information

LAKELAND, Fla. – Despite a big win by #2 singles player Barbara Oria and a strong showing elsewhere throughout the match, the Florida Southern women's tennis team (ranked #20) opened the 2005 season with an 8-1 loss to Armstrong Atlantic, ranked #2 in the nation.

The match started with the Pirates (1-0) taking all three doubles points. However, the #2 Moccasin team of Linda Mrkic and Lara Alcobendas nearly pulled off an upset of the nation's fifth-ranked doubles pair of Manuela Emmrich and Caroline Grage at the #2 position.

In singles play, Oria gave Florida Southern its lone point with a three-set victory over 13th-ranked Dziyana Nazaruk. It was the sophomore's first career win over a nationally ranked opponent and gives her a career-mark of 15-5 overall.

Mrkic, ranked #15 in the nation individually, dropped a straight-set match to Luisa Cowper in a battle of top-20 opponents.

AASU 8, Florida Southern 1

Singles
1. Luisa Cowper (AASU) def. Linda Mrkic (FSC) 6-0, 6-0
2. Barbara Oria (FSC) def. Dziyana Nazaruk (AASU) 7-6, 1-6, 6-3
3. Manuela Emmrich (AASU) def. Lidia Gandarias (FSC) 4-6, 6-1, 6-3
4. Johanna Dahlback (AASU) def. Lara Alcobendas (FSC) 6-2, 6-4
5. Laura Peaty (AASU) def. Megan Fincham (FSC) 6-0, 6-1
6. Sofia Haggstrom (AASU) def. Lindsey Willis (FSC) 6-0, 6-1

Doubles
1. Cowper / Peaty (AASU) def. Gandarias / Oria (FSC) 8-3
2. Emmrich / Caroline Grage (AASU) def. Mrkic/Alcobendas (FSC) 8-5
3. Dahlback / Nazaruk (AASU) def. Fincham / Willis (FSC) 8-2
Records: AASU (1-0), Florida Southern (0-1)