April 6, 2008

Box Score

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Playing their third match in as many days, the University of Memphis women's tennis team battled through a tough 4-1 loss to UAB, Sunday, at Rhodes College. The loss drops Memphis to 8-12 overall and 1-3 in league play, while UAB improves to 9-4 overall and 3-2 in C-USA play.

Memphis opened with a win in No. 1 doubles when the team of Ashley Murdock and Marjorie Ondeck won their match, 8-1, over the team of Evelien Striyker and Antonia Nugent. But UAB still claimed the doubles point via wins at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles, 8-4.

The UAB lead quickly pushed out to 2-0 with a win at No. 5 singles, but Ashley Murdock battled back to win her opening set at No. 1 singles, 6-3 and was up 5-4 for the second set when UAB's Striyker battled back and took the lead, 6-5, in the second set as unforced errors started creeping in to the match which featured a number of long baseline rallies. Murdock broke back to knot the score at 6-6 to save an attempt to win the match, and quickly jumped in front 1-0 in the tiebreak. But Striyker won three straight points to go up 3-1 in the extra play, and the duo started a back-and-forth effort that would find the score knotted five more times before Murdock held off a set point down 8-7 to knot the score for the last time at 8-8. The Tiger then won the next two points to close out the match with a10-8 victory in the second set tiebreak.

Unfortunately, that would be Memphis' lone point of the match as Amanda Brown was serving for her first set when three straight points sailed long, giving Antonio Nugent the first set 7-6 (7). Nugent would close the No. 4 singles match out with a 6-2 win in the second set, scoring UAB's fourth, and deciding, point.

The Lady Tigers have one match remaining in the 2007-08 regular season. Memphis will host Central Arkansas, Thursday, at 1 p.m. at Rhodes College. That will be the final home match of the season for the Lady Tigers before the Conference USA Tournament begins on Apr. 17th in Houston, Texas.

UAB 4, University of Memphis 1
Apr 06, 2008 at Memphis, Tenn. (Rhodes College)
Singles competition
1. Ashley Murdock (MEMPHIS) def. Evelien Stiyker (UAB) 6-3, 7-6, 10-8
2. Marjorie Ondeck (MEMPHIS) vs. Gulsah Esen (UAB) unfinished
3. Antonio Nugent (UAB) def. Amanda Brown (MEMPHIS) 7-6, 6-2
4. Jenny Cape (UAB) def. Lindsey Wiseman (MEMPHIS) 6-3, 6-4
5. Giorgia Romeo (UAB) def. Kristin Chamberlain (MEMPHIS) 6-0, 6-2
6. Dara Toulch (MEMPHIS) vs. Ceylon Engin (UAB) unfinished

Doubles competition
1. Ashley Murdock/Marjorie Ondeck (MEMPHIS) def. Evelien Stiyker/Antonio Nugent (UAB) 8-1
2. Giorgia Romeo/Gulsah Esen (UAB) def. Kristin Chamberlain/Ekin Zafir (MEMPHIS) 8-4
3. Seden Solyap/Jenny Cape (UAB) def. Dara Toulch/Lindsey Wiseman (MEMPHIS) 8-4

Match Notes
UAB 9-4, 3-2 C-USA
University of Memphis 8-12, 1-3 C-USA