April 15, 2007

MARTIN, Tenn. ---- The Samford women's tennis team captured its first regular-season title this weekend with wins at Austin Peay and Tennessee-Martin in the final weekend of play. The championship was decided with the Bulldogs' undefeated conference record and now they look to this week to prepare for the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.

On Saturday, the Samford women swept Austin Peay, 7-0. Doubles pair White/McKey started things off with an 8-7 win at the No. 1 position while Jackson/Warren and McMiller/Baker defeated their opponents at the two and three courts, 8-1.

Anna Jackson took her opponent to a tiebreak at the No. 1 court after falling behind in the first set. However, Jackson would come back to take the first singles match of the day and her teammates would follow her lead.

On Sunday at Tennessee-Martin, the Bulldogs fell behind early with a loss at the No. 1 doubles court but Jackson/Warren and McMiller/Baker would step up and win the second and third matches, 8-5 and 8-3, respectively.

Jackson and White added to the Samford score with wins at the No. 1 and No. 3 singles court as well as McKey and Benson with wins at the fifth and sixth courts.

The Samford women will try to add to their regular-season title as they try to defend their 2006 tournament championship this weekend in Nashville, Tenn. The 2007 O'Reilly Ohio Valley Conference Tournament hosted by Southeast Missouri begins Friday, April 20, at the Centennial Tennis Complex in Nashville. The three-day event will conclude Sunday, April 22, as the OVC crowns its 2007 champion.

Samford 7, Austin Peay 0

Doubles
No. 1 White/McKey (SAM) def. Pagan/Liew (APSU), 8-7 (5)
No. 2 Jackson/Warren (SAM) def. Penner/Gonzalez (APSU), 8-1
No. 3 McMiller/Baker (SAM) def. Kistler/Rzezniczek (APSU), 8-1

Singles
No. 1 Anna Jackson (SAM) def. Pagan (APSU), 5-7, 6-2 (10)
No. 2 Katie McMiller (SAM) def. Rzezniczek (APSU), 6-1, 6-0
No. 3 Emily White (SAM) def. Liew (APSU), 6-2, 6-3
No. 4 Whitnie Warren (SAM) def. Penner (APSU), 6-0, 6-2
No. 5 Sarah McKey (SAM) def. Gonzalez (APSU), 6-0, 6-0
No. 6 Bethany Benson (SAM) def. Kistler (APSU), 6-0, 6-0

Samford 5, Tennessee-Martin 2

Doubles
No. 1 Schoones/Koornhof (UTM) def. White/McKey (SAM), 8-4
No. 2 Jackson/Warren (SAM) def. Leavy/De Brito (UTM), 8-5
No. 3 McMiller/Baker (SAM) def. Wahl/Gunn (UTM), 8-3

Singles
No. 1 Anna Jackson (SAM) def. Leavy (UTM), 6-2, 6-0
No. 2 Schoones (UTM) def. Katie McMiller (SAM), 6-1, 6-2
No. 3 Emily White (SAM) def. Koornhof (UTM), 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-4
No. 4 Wahl (UTM) def. Whitnie Warren (SAM), 6-4, 4-6, 3-6
No. 5 Sarah McKey (SAM) def. De Brito (UTM), 6-4, 6-2
No. 6 Bethany Benson (SAM) def. Gunn (UTM), 6-3, 6-1