Jan. 28, 2008

HOUSTON - The Lamar University women's tennis team opened the 2008 season in style Saturday, picking up a pair of wins over Louisiana Tech and Prairie View A&M, and finished the weekend with loss at Rice on Sunday afternoon in Houston.

The Lady Cardinals first match of the season was a 7-0 victory over Louisiana Tech, in which they won all of their contest in straight sets.

Starting in doubles play the Lady Cardinals picked up a win at No. 1 as Andrea Martinez and Mariaryeni Gutierrez paired up for an 8-1 win over Rosi Juarez and Adriana Makowska. At No. 2 doubles Maria Gutierrez and Manijee Ashrafi took down Alex Gasper and Ashley Wodderburk 8-4 while the match at No. 3 doubles was won by Lu by default.

In singles play Mariaryeni Gutierrez defeated Juarez 6-2, 6-0 at No. 1, Kaltrina Harbuzi took down Gasper 6-1, 6-4 at No. 2 and Ashrafi cruised to a 6-1, 6-1 win over Wodderburk. Maria Gutierrez won at No. 4 singles by taking out Makowska 6-3, 6-1 and Salina Aranda won at No. 5 singles 6-1, 6-0 over Mallery Smith. The match at No. 6 was won by Lamar at default.

In their showdown against Prairie View the Lady Cardinals again cruised to victory, taking down the Panthers 7-0.

At No. 1 doubles Harbuzi and Aranda took down Melissa Guerrier and Simpson 8-0 while Maria Gutierrez and Anahita Jagtiani took down Kori Linzie and Antonella Majors 8-1 at No. 2 doubles. At No. 3 doubles Traci Quan and Samantha Cantu defeated Ashrafi and Manami Kuroda by default.

In singles play Mariaryeni Gutierrez defeated Cantu 6-1, 6-1 while Ashrafi picked up a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Guerrier at No. 2 singles. At No. 3 singles Maria Gutierrez sailed past Majors 6-1, 6-0 while Aranda posted a 6-1, 6-0 win over Linzie. In the match at No. 5 Jagtiani blew past Candice Curmer 6-0, 6-0 and Kuroda swept Traci Quan 6-0, 6-0 at No. 6.

On Sunday afternoon the Lady Cardinals dropped a tough 5-2 decision to Rice at Jake Hess Stadium in Houston.

The match turned in the Owls favor during doubles play, as the Lady Cardinals were not able to secure the first point of the match. In the No. 1 doubles match Rice's pair of Julie Chao and Dominique Karas rallied for a 9-7 win over Martinez and Mariaryeni Gutierrez, while Emily Braid and Varsha Shiva-Shankar defeated Aranda and Harbuzi 9-7 to take to point. The doubles tandem of Maria Gutierrez and Ashrafi grabbed an 8-4 win over Tiffany Lee and Rebecca Lin at No. 2 doubles for the Lady Cards.

In singles play the Lady Cardinals picked up a pair of points from the Gutierrez sisters with Mariaryeni Gutierrez defeating Lee 6-2, 6-1 at No. 2 while Maria Gutierrez outlasted Shiva-Shankar 6-7, 6-0, 1-0 (13-11) at No. 5.

Martinez dropped her match at No. 1 singles to Chao 6-4, 6-2 and Harbuzi was defeated 6-4, 6-2 by Karas at No. 3. The Owls also picked up wins at No. 4 and No. 6 as Lin took out Ashrafi 6-1, 6-1 in the fourth position and Aranda fell to Braid in the six hole.

The Lady Cardinals will be back in action on Sunday, February 3, at 1 p.m. when they host Southern Miss at the Cardinal Courts.