FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 5-10-06

2006 NCAA DII National Championships, Round of 16: No. 1 AASU 5, No. 12 Valdosta State 0

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The defending DII national champion Armstrong Atlantic women's tennis team took its first step towards another possible title with a 5-0 win over No. 12-ranked Valdosta State at the 2006 NCAA DII Women's Tennis Championships in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday morning.

The Lady Pirates (28-0) won their 58th consecutive match by sweeping all three doubles matches, then getting straight-set 6-0, 6-0 wins from seniors Manuela Emmrich and Caroline Grage at No. 5 and No. 6 singles, respectively. Emmrich defeated Clair McKinnon and Grage defeated Keri Crosby to clinch the match, and the Lady Pirates were leading in all of the other four singles matches when play was halted.

The Lady Pirates will face the winner of the Drury/Northwest Missouri State match in the quarterfinals on Thursday, May 11, at 10:00 a.m. at the Plaza Tennis Center in Kansas City.

- Pirates -

2006 NCAA DII National Championship - Round of 16

AASU 5, Valdosta State 0
Singles
#1 - Luisa Cowper (AASU) led Anne Corten (VSU) 6-2, 5-0, match stopped, clinched
#2 - Iuliia Stupak (AASU) led Annika Biro (VSU) 6-1, 1-0, match stopped, clinched
#3 - Dziyana Nazaruk (AASU) led Corina Scholten (VSU) 5-4, match stopped, clinched
#4 - Johanna Dahlback (AASU) led Kellie Sturma (VSU) 6-1, 2-0, match stopped, clinched
#5 - Manuela Emmrich (AASU) def. Clair McKinnon (VSU) 6-0, 6-0
#6 - Caroline Grage (AASU) def. Keri Crosby (VSU) 6-0, 6-0

Doubles
#1 - Cowper/Stupak (AASU) def. Biro/Corten (VSU) 8-2
#2 - Emmrich/Grage (AASU) def. McKinnon/Scholten (VSU) 8-3
#3 - Dahlback/Nazaruk (AASU) def. Crosby/Sturma (VSU) 8-0
Records: AASU (28-0), Valdosta State (13-11)