FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 5-3-03

2003 Mid-Atlantic Regional: No. 6 AASU 5, No. 27 Columbus State 1

SAVANNAH, Ga. – The No. 6-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State Lady Pirates advanced to the 2003 Mid-Atlantic Regional Final with a 5-1 win over No. 27-ranked Columbus State University on Saturday afternoon at the AASU Tennis Complex.

The Lady Pirates (20-6) swept all of the doubles matches to take a commanding 3-0 lead. The No. 6-ranked doubles duo of Zsofi Golopencza and Laura Peaty knocked off Suzanne Visagie and Marianne Berry, 8-1, at No. 1 doubles, while Manuela Emmrich and Caroline Grage defeated Stacie Faurot and Natasha Stoop, 8-6, at No. 2 doubles. Alejandra Aguilar and Gemma Vaughan completed the doubles sweep with an 8-4 win over Shannon Johnson and Jessica Spencer at No. 3 doubles.

Columbus State (9-8) picked up a point at No. 6 singles as Aguilar defaulted her singles match to Stacie Faurot, making the score, 3-1, but the Pirates picked up two straight-set singles wins to clinch the match. Grage defeated Spencer, 6-1, 6-0, at No. 4 singles, then the top-ranked singles player in NCAA Division II, Golopencza, blanked Visagie, 6-0, 6-0, to close out the victory.

AASU will now face North Florida at Noon on Sunday, May 4, for a berth in the 2003 NCAA DII Women's Tennis Finals in Altamonte Springs, Fla., from May 8-11. AASU has won both meetings between the two schools this season - 6-3 during the regular season and 5-1 in the Peach Belt Conference Championships.

- Pirates -

2003 Mid-Atlantic Regional - First Round

AASU 5, Columbus State 1
Singles
#1 - Zsofi Golopencza (AASU) def. Suzanne Visagie (CSU) 6-0, 6-0
#2 - Natasha Stoop (CSU) led Manuela Emmrich (AASU) 6-3, 1-1, match stopped, clinched
#3 - Laura Peaty (AASU) led Marianne Berry (CSU) 6-4, match stopped, clinched
#4 - Caroline Grage (AASU) def. Jessica Spencer (CSU) 6-1, 6-0
#5 - Gemma Vaughan (AASU) led Shannon Johnson (CSU) 6-0, 5-0, match stopped, clinched
#6 - Stacie Faurot (CSU) def. Alejandra Aguilar (AASU), default
Doubles
#1 - Golopencza/Peaty (AASU) def. Visagie/Berry (CSU) 8-1
#2 - Emmrich/Grage (AASU) def. Faurot/Stoop (CSU) 8-6
#3 - Aguilar/Vaughan (AASU) def. Johnson/Spencer (CSU) 8-4
Records: AASU (20-6), CSU (9-8)