Sept. 22, 2011

CONYERS, Ga. - The Samford University women's tennis team will continue play in its 2011 fall season this weekend as the Bulldogs are slated to compete in the Southern Shootout hosted by Georgia State University, Friday through Sunday, at the Rockdale Tennis Center.

This weekend, Samford will square off against competitors from Georgia State, South Alabama and Jacksonville University. The three-day event will consist of a round-robin format with a singles and doubles champion for each flight.

In their last outing, Samford opened its fall season at the College of Charleston Invitational and turned in a number of solid performances.

Samford's Lindsey Mallory and Kristin Lewis teamed to finish third in the A1 doubles draw. On Sunday, the Bulldogs' combination defeated Chattanooga's pairing of Jenna Nurik and Shaina Singh, 8-6.

In the A1 singles draw, Samford's Lewis defeated Charleston Southern's Marija Dzakovic in the consolation finals, 7-6(4), 6-4. Lewis, the Bulldogs' highly-touted sophomore from Odenville, Ala., finished the weekend's singles competition with a 3-1 record.

Samford's doubles combination of Madelie Janse Van Rensburg and Rebecca Kirven also played in the third-place match Sunday. The Bulldogs' duo faced off against College of Charleston's tandem of Katie Lee and Irene Viana, but dropped an 8-1 decision in the contest.

In the consolation round of the A2 singles draw, Samford's Kirven fell short against UNC Charlotte's Natsuko Takayanagi, 6-4, 6-4. Despite the loss, Kirven turned in a solid season-opening tournament and finished the three-day event with a 2-2 record.

Also on Sunday, the Bulldogs' Lindsey Mallory was scheduled to face Chattanooga's Kaylene Chadwell for fifth place in the A2 singles draw. As of this update, the match was still not played and was most likely suspended due to travel arrangements. Heading into the contest, Samford's Mallory compiled a 2-1 record.

The Bulldogs' doubles combination of Jessica Diamond and Emily Mallory fell short against Air Force's Anastasia Hueffner and Christine Molina, 8-6, in the third-place match Sunday.

In the B1 singles draw, Samford's Diamond picked up a 7-6(4), 7-6(6), triumph over Charleston Southern's Susita Das for fifth place in the highly competitive tournament. Over the course of the weekend, Diamond tallied a 3-1 record in singles play.

Following this weekend's 2011 Southern Shootout, the Samford University women's tennis team will next be in action Oct. 14-16, as the Bulldogs are slated to compete in the highly-acclaimed Roberta Alison Fall Invitational to be hosted by the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala.