Lady Eagle Tennis Team Nabs Win in Season Opener

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Lady Eagle Tennis Team Nabs Win in Season Opener

Nicola Slater clinched the match for the Lady Eagles at No. 1 singles

HATTIESBURG, Miss. ? Southern Miss women?s tennis team opened its dual-match spring season Sunday at Tatum Park, defeating Louisiana-Monroe, 6-1.

Southern Miss clinched the match with the No. 1 singles, when Nicola Slater came from behind to defeat Diana Espinal, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.

?I was very pleased with the win today,? Head Coach Randy Rowley said. ?I believe we can out and played against a good team that has a tradition of being a solid team. This is the same team that lost to Stanford two years ago in the NCAA Tournament.?

The Lady Eagles grabbed the 1-0 lead, winning the doubles? points with wins at No. 1 doubles and No. 3 doubles. Senior Jennifer Sibille and freshman Ali Blackett won the first match of the day, defeating Diana Espinal and Elodie Burlet (ULM), 8-2, at No. 3 doubles. Slater and freshman Sherry Price followed with an 8-4 win at No. 1 doubles over Nataliya Ostrovska and Pauline Bourdet (ULM). Nikhila Narra and Grace Kammerer lost to Noelia Leon and Daliny Sithimorada (ULM), 9-7.

ULM tied the match at 1-1 with its only win of the day when Leon defeated Narra at No. 3 singles, 6-2, 6-1. The Lady Eagles regained the 2-1 lead following a win a No. 6 singles when Sibille defeated Burlet, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5). Kammerer won at No. 4 singles in another come-from-behind effort with a 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 win over Sithimorada. Blackett defeated Bourdet (ULM) in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4). Price won in a super tie breaker at No. 2 singles over Ostrovska, 6-3, 6-7 (7-5), 10-6.

?Our doubles were very encouraging today,? Rowley said. ?Now our one concern is to get Nikhila Narra back healthy again.?

Southern Miss returns to action on Feb. 11, when the Lady Eagles travel to Louisiana-Lafayette for a 2 p.m. match.

Tennis Match Results

Louisiana-Monroe vs. Southern Miss

Feb 06, 2005 at Hattiesburg, Miss.

Southern Miss 6, Louisiana-Monroe 1

Singles competition:

1. Nicola Slater (USM) def. Diana Espinal (ULM) 2-6, 6-4, 6-2

2. Sherry Price (USM) def. Nataliya Ostrovska (ULM) 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 10-6

3. Noelia Leon (ULM) def. Nikhila Narra (USM) 6-2, 6-1

4. Grace Kammerer (USM) def. Daliny Sithimorada (ULM) 1-6, 6-1, 6-3

5. Ali Blackett (USM) def. Pauline Bourdet (ULM) 6-3, 7-6 (7-4)

6. Jennifer Sibille (USM) def. Elodie Burlet (ULM) 6-3, 7-6 (7-5)

Doubles competition:

1. Nicola Slater/Sherry Price (USM) def. Nataliya Ostrovska/Pauline Bourdet (ULM) 8-4

2. Noelia Leon/Daliny Sithimorada (ULM) def. Nikhila Narra/Grace Kammerer (USM) 9-7

3. Ali Blackett/Jennifer Sibille (USM) def. Diana Espinal/Elodie Burlet (ULM) 8-2

Match Notes:

Louisiana-Monroe 1-2

Southern Miss 1-0

Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (3,6,4,1,5,2)

Southern Miss' season opener

No. 1 singles clinched the match

Official: Pappas, Wampler

University of Southern Mississippi Athletics

Lady Eagle Tennis Team Nabs Win in Season Opener

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