March 16, 2008

The SU men's and women's tennis teams split matches with Howard Payne University on Saturday (Mar. 15) in Georgetown, TX with the women coming out victorious, 8-1 and the men falling 8-1 while the women played another match against Whitman College and dropped a tight one 5-4.

Southwestern Women 8, Howard Payne Women 1

The Pirate women opened up the match earning all three points from doubles play. Leslie Smith (Temple, TX/Temple HS) and Emily Gutzmer (Austin, TX/Anderson HS) won 8-5, Mary Pennington (San Antonio, TX/Churchill HS) and Laura Evanoff (Breckenridge, TX/Breckenridge HS) pulled out an 8-6 victory and the duo of Kelly Finn (Wichita Falls, TX/Burkburnett HS) and Sara Fitzsimmons (Garland, TX/Garland HS) won 8-0.

Smith won the first flight singles match without losing a single game, 6-0, 6-0 and Pennington dispatched of her opponent in the second slot 6-1, 6-0. Gutzmer picked up a 6-2, 6-3 win while Lali Satyavada (Midland, TX/Lee HS) earned a fifth flight victory, 6-0, 6-1. First-year Katie Cam (Carrollton, TX/Mt. Vernon HS) won her match 6-0, 6-3 while Allison Noblitt (Lake Jackson, TX/Brazoswood HS) came out on the wrong end of a 6-2, 6-0 decision.

Howard Payne Men 8, Southwestern Men 1

The SU men were in a hole early as all three doubles pairings fell in their respective matches. The Pirates had four out of six singles matches go to three sets but SU only came out on top in one of them. First-year D'Artagnan Bebel (The Woodlands, TX/Oak Ridge HS) garnered the Pirates only point with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 win in the fifth flight.

Charles Prince (Port Arthur, TX/Memorial HS) dropped a close one 7-5, 3-6, 10-8 in the sixth slot while Michael Party (Midland, TX/Florida Tech HS) lost his match 0-6, 7-5, 6-3. Sophomore Alex Jansen (Austin, TX/Anderson HS) also went to three sets but was defeated 6-3, 2-6, 6-1.

Whitman Women 5, Southwestern Women 4

The Pirates dropped two of three in doubles against the Missionaries with the win going to Evanoff and Pennington, 8-6. Smith earned her second singles win of the day, taking a 6-0, 6-3 decision. Gutzmer won the third flight 6-1, 6-4 while Satyavada also won her second singles match of the day, 7-5, 6-4.

The Pirate women now sport a 3-5 record on the season while the men are 1-6.

Southwestern returns from spring break with a match on Tuesday (Mar. 25) in Kerrville, TX against Schreiner University at 3:00 pm.