Feb. 25, 2009

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University women's tennis team earned up its second home triumph in three matches Wednesday as the Bulldogs defeated the UAB Blazers 4-3 in a cross-town rivalry held at the Samford Tennis Center.

Samford (2-3) won the doubles point and then received singles victories from Jessica Diamond, Andrie Meiring and Stephanie Parkison en route to its hard-fought 4-3 advantage.

Wednesday's win was the Bulldogs' second in five days. On Saturday, Samford earned a similar 4-3 victory against North Florida.

With the loss, UAB (2-3) suffered its second-straight defeat. It was also the Blazers' second setback of the 2009 season held at the Samford Tennis Center. On Feb. 10, UAB played a match on the Bulldogs' Hardison Courts and dropped a 4-3 decision against Memphis.

Samford's doubles combinations of Taylor Morgan and Parkison, and Rebecca Kirven and Meiring both earned 8-3 wins against their UAB counterparts Wednesday. By winning two of the three doubles matches, the Bulldogs took a key 1-0 advantage in the contest.

In singles play, Samford's Meiring defeated UAB's Giorgia Romeo on court No. 2, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, while Parkison held off Brittany DeFelice 7-6 (5), 6-2 on court No. 4. The Bulldogs also received a key singles victory from Diamond on court No. 5 as she cruised to a 6-2, 6-4 win against the Blazers' Jenny Cape.

The Samford University women's tennis team will next be in action Saturday at 9 a.m., as the Bulldogs begin their Southern Conference season against the Georgia Southern Eagles in Statesboro, Ga.