March 19, 2011

Results

NEW ORLEANS - The Samford University women's tennis team finished its Saturday non-conference doubleheader with a 1-1 record as the Bulldogs cruised past the University of New Orleans Privateers 7-0 before coming up just short against the Tulane Green Wave 4-3.

With the doubleheader split, Samford (10-2) moved to 4-2 in road matches this season. Against UNO (3-5), the Bulldogs extended their winning streak to four-consecutive contests, but then dropped a hard-fought 4-3 decision versus Tulane (8-8) at the Goldring Tennis Center.

Samford's loss at Tulane was only its second defeat of the 2011 season. Both the Bulldogs' setbacks this year were 4-3 losses on the road against top-notch opponents. Samford's first defeat of the year occurred at UNC Greensboro 4-3 on Feb. 27 in Greensboro, N.C.

On Saturday, the Bulldogs opened their New Orleans doubleheader with a 7-0 sweep of UNO. In the victory, Samford earned the early doubles point by winning on all three courts.

The Bulldogs then received straight-set victories from Taylor Morgan, Andrie Meiring, Madelie Janse Van Rensburg and Kristin Lewis to earn the 7-0 triumph. UNO was forced to play Saturday with a limited number of players and was then obligated to forfeit the singles matches on courts No. 5 and No. 6.

Against Tulane in the afternoon match, Samford dropped the point in doubles play and fell behind early by a score of 1-0. The Green Wave earned the point by securing identical 8-3 victories on courts No. 1 and No. 2. In the No. 3 doubles contest, the Bulldogs duo comprised of Janse Van Rensburg and Diamond defeated Tulane's pairing of Hila Elster and Elizabth Hamlin, 8-7(1).

With their win, Samford's combination of Diamond and Janse Van Rensburg improved its doubles record on the season to 5-1.

In the singles competition, the Bulldogs received victories from Lewis, Rebecca Kirven and Lindsey Mallory and courts No. 4, 5, and 6, respectively. Lewis tallied a three-set win on court No. 4, while Kirven breezed past Hamlin on court No. 5, 6-3, 6-2, and Lindsey Mallory outlasted Tulane's Emma Helisten, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, in the No. 6 singles contest.

Heading into the final singles match of the day, Samford and Tulane were deadlocked at 3-3. In the No. 3 singles contest, the Green Wave's Lindsay Dvorak held on for the deciding 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-1, victory against the Bulldogs' Janse Van Rensburg.

Samford's Lewis, a sophomore from Odenville, Ala., improved her team-best record on the season to 11-1 in singles play. The Bulldogs' No. 4 singles competitor has been victorious in six straight matches.

The Samford University women's tennis team will next be in action Saturday at 11 a.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs resume play in their Southern Conference schedule with a key home match against the Furman Lady Paladins. The contest will be held in Birmingham, Ala., at the Samford Tennis Center.