April 10, 2004

MURRAY, Ky. - The Samford men's tennis team ended its Ohio Valley Conference season with a 4-3 victory over Eastern Illinois in Murray, Ky., Saturday afternoon. The Bulldogs (12-8, 6-3 OVC) took the doubles point and three singles matches for the victory over the Panthers (9-8, 4-2).

"We showed a lot better intensity in doubles today, than we did yesterday," Head coach Kemper Baker said. "We had a good weekend, beating the second and third place teams in the OVC last year."

The Samford doubles teams of Manuel Miletic and Bradley Weaver and Stuart Misner and Rob Nunnery each won 8-5 on courts two and three, respectively, to give the Bulldogs the early 1-0 lead.

In singles, the Bulldogs dropped matches on courts one through three forcing the bottom of the lineup to win key matches for the Samford victory. Weaver lost only one game in a 6-0, 6-1 victory on court four upping his season record to 14-7. Rob Nunnery won his second-consecutive OVC match 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 on court five and Johnny Griffee blanked Colin Priestner 6-0, 6-0 on court six.

The Bulldogs will host North Alabama on Wednesday in the final match of the regular season beginning at 3:00 p.m.

Samford 4 Eastern Illinois 3

Doubles:
1. Weber/B. Blankenbaker (EIU) d. Bryce/Griffee (SU) 8-5
2. Miletic/Weaver (SU) d. Priestner/Lenfert (EIU) 8-5
3. Misner/Nunnery (SU) d. LeVaque/R. Blankenbaker (EIU) 8-5
Singles:
1. C.J. Weber (EIU) d. Manuel Miletic (SU) 6-4, 6-4
2. Charles LeVaque (EIU) d. James Bryce (SU) 6-2, 7-6
3. Brandon Blankenbaker (EIU) d. Stuart Misner (SU) 6-2, 6-2
4. Bradley Weaver (SU) d. Ryan Blankenbaker (EIU) 6-0, 6-1
5. Rob Nunnery (SU) d. Brandon Lenfert (EIU) 6-1, 3-6, 6-2
6. Johnny Griffee (SU) d. Colin Priestner (EIU) 6-0, 6-0