March 16, 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford women's tennis team experienced a small setback Sunday as it fell to non-conference opponent Houston, 4-3, at the Pat M. Courington Tennis Pavilion. The loss ends a four-match win streak and brings the Bulldogs to a 9-3 record on the season.

The Cougars (10-6, 0-2 C-USA) took the doubles point winning at the No. 2 and No. 3 court. Samford duo Anna Jackson and Katie Weaver did get a win at the No. 1 court, defeated Lucy Forward and Izabella Glinska, 8-5.

Samford (9-3, 3-0 OVC) won the matches at the first three singles courts but could not get things done in the last four courts as Houston came out on top winning four straight matches to win team score, 4-3. Freshman Andrie Meiring remains undefeated with a 12-0 record, winning at the No. 2 spot Sunday. Meiring has won two matches at the No. 2 court, three at the No.3, four at No. 4 and three at No. 5.

The match came down to Weaver's singles match. She fought hard to save five match points over the course of three games to go from being down 5-1 to down 5-4. She eventually lost the match at the No. 4 court, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.

"We played like a team of freshmen today, especially in doubles," Samford head coach David Vest said. "Our three losses this year have all been 4-33 matches, and in two of those we lost the doubles point. We just have to learn to make sure we fight in the doubles like we do in the singles. Houston is a good team and they did a great job of coming into our place and fighting until the very end."

Samford will be back home one more time before taking off on a six-match road swing. The Bulldog women will host Mercer next Saturday, March 22, at the Pat M. Courington Tennis Pavilion. Match play is set for 9 a.m. CT.

Houston 4, Samford 3

Doubles
No. 1 Jackson/Weaver (SAM) def. Forward/Glinska (UH), 8-5
No. 2 Salek/Wasson (UH) def. Mallory/Morgan (SAM), 8-5
No. 3 Simpson/McCombs (UH) def. Kirven/Meiring (SAM), 8-2

Singles
No. 1 Taylor Morgan (SAM) def. Lucy Forward (UH), 6-3, 6-2
No. 2 Andrie Meiring (SAM) def. Leila Salek (UH), 7-6, 0-6, 6-4
No. 3 Anna Jackson (SAM) def. Neila Starratt (UH), 6-4, 7-6
No. 4 Lynley Wasson (UH) def. Katie Weaver (SAM), 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
No. 5 Vicky Simpson (UH) def. Lindsey Mallory (SAM), 6-2, 6-2
No. 6 Joanna Kacprzyk (UH) def. Lindsay Reidenbach (SAM), 6-2, 6-1