Hurricanes Blank FAU to Advance to NCAA Second Round
May 13, 2005
CORAL GABLES, <?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Fla. – The University of Miami ninth ranked tennis team cruised to a 4-0 victory over Florida Atlantic (9-11) in the First Round of the NCAA Women’s Tennis Championship Friday afternoon at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center. The Hurricanes (21-4) advance into Saturday’s 1:00 p.m. Second Round match against No. 24 California (13-8) who defeated Mississippi 4-3 earlier in the day. <?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
With the win, the Hurricanes extend their home-match winning streak to 27-matches. They are 15-0 at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center this season.
The Hurricanes wasted no time in the quick, two-hour match, jumping to a 1-0 lead after claiming the doubles point with wins at the No. 2 and No. 3 positions. Seniors Megan Bradley and Staci Stevens downed FAU’s Katherine Bartnik/Veronika Koksova pair 8-4 at the No. 2 slot before the freshman duo of Caren Seenauth and Patricia Starzyk blanked Claudia Kecht and Pia Terol, 8-0 to clinch the doubles point at the No. 3 position.
Stevens got things started in singles with a 6-0, 6-3 straight set victory over Koksova at the No. 2 slot.
Junior Melissa Applebaum tacked on another point to the scoreboard, giving up only one game en route to a 6-1, 6-0 commanding win over Bartnik at the No. 3 position.
Starzyk claimed the clinching victory by upending Elodie Wendling 6-0, 6-1 at the No. 4 slot.
Bradley had a 6-0, 5-1 lead over FAU’s Alena Dvorakova at the No. 1 position before her match was called after Starzyk’s victory.
Sophomore Audrey Banada was up 6-0, 5-3 over Kecht at the No. 5 position and sophomore Emily Mowery had a 6-3, 5-1 match lead over Pia Terol at No. 6 before their matches were called as well.
The Hurricanes improved to 22-0 all-time against the Owls and are an even 19-19 at the NCAA Championships.
Miami and California will square-off Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in the Neil Schiff Tennis Center. Tickets will be sold at the entrance and are $5 for adults and $3 for students/children. The match can also be followed via live stats on Hurricanesports.com.
