Feb. 1, 2008

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The SFA tennis team picked up its first win of the spring season on Friday, earning a split in a pair of matches by sweeping Centenary after falling to UT-Pan American in the first match of the day at the Schleif Tennis Complex.

The Ladyjacks (1-2) made quick work Centenary (0-1), not losing a set in any of the singles or doubles matches on its way to a 7-0 sweep. The teams of Roxana Enica and Christelle Kaempfer along with Gabriela Gadeva and Tatiana Smolnikova each picked up sweeps, 8-0, in their matches. Mary Harrison and Sanjana Kapur cruised 8-2 to finish things up in doubles action.

Enica led the evening singles charge with her second singles win of the day, a 6-1, 6-1 thrashing of Courtney Myers in No. 1 singles play. The Ladyjacks continued to stay on fire, despite the chilling weather, with three players - Kapur, Smolnikova and freshman Andreea Enica - each winning 6-0, 6-0.

The other wins cane off the rackets of Harrison in No. 3 singles, 6-1, 6-1, and Gadeva, 6-3, 6-1, in No. 4 singles.

The early session saw the Ladyjacks have some trouble with the Lady Broncs, as UTPA (2-1) took the doubles point and four of the first five singles matches to clinch the match 5-1 in an abbreviated session.

Gadeva and Smolnikova teamed up to give SFA its first doubles win of the spring against the Lady Broncs, knocking off Willerding and Cantu 9-7. But it wasn't enough to secure the point as UTPA took the other two match-ups to claim the point.

In singles, sophomore Roxnana Enica picked up the win in No. 1 singles, handling Giana Oliveira in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4; however, the Lady Broncs had the upper hand in four of the other matches to wrap things up.

Weekend action will continue tomorrow as UTPA will take on Centenary at 10:00 a.m. and then Centenary will square off with Louisiana Tech at 2:00. The Ladyjacks will not be in action again until Sunday, when SFA takes on Louisiana Tech at noon.

-SFA-