March 29, 2008

Final Stats

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Two gutsy doubles wins helped momentum swing towards the USC Upstate women's tennis team and help lead it to its eighth straight Atlantic Sun Conference win in a battle of the league's top two teams, beating Jacksonville, 5-2, on the road on Saturday morning. Upstate improves to 14-2 overall and 8-0 in the A-Sun and Jacksonville falls to 11-5 overall and 5-1 in the A-Sun.

Upstate was able to ward off a major challenge from the Dolphins in doubles play, as senior Susana Hernandez (Cali, Colombia/Colegio Americano) and junior Daniela Lovera (Caracas, Venezuela/Santa Rosa Lima) posted an 8-5 win over Lena Willi and Fernanda Carrero at No. 2 doubles. After a loss at the No. 1 doubles slot, senior Diana Martinez (Medellin, Colombia/Nuestra Senora del Rosario) and junior Maria Herrera (Buenos Aires, Argentina) posted an 8-6 win over Juliana Umeki and Lina Xu at No. 3 to take the point.

With the win at doubles, Herrera became the third player in school history to reach 50 career doubles wins, joining her teammates Hernandez (62) and Martinez (63).

Junior Anna Novo (Caracas, Venezuela/El-Angel) gave the Spartans a 2-0 lead, as she posted her 26th win of the year with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Xu at No. 1 singles. Losses at No. 2 and No. 3 evened the match at two, but the final three singles slots, who hit the courts after the first three finished, went to the Spartans to clinch the win.

Herrera was the first to finish, as she took a 6-3, 6-1 win over Carrero at No. 6. Lovera clinched the match for Upstate with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Umeki at No. 4 singles, although Umeki fought off two match points before Lovera claimed the win. Martinez wrapped up the match with a 7-6 (6), 6-2 win over Jaresova at No. 5 singles.

The win gives team the inside track to becoming the first team in school history to win an Atlantic Sun Conference regular season championship, standing at 8-0 with three conference matches remaining, as they host Garner-Webb (Friday) and Campbell (Sunday) before traveling to second-place ETSU (Wednesday, April 9) to wrap up the season.

Upstate wraps up its trip to Florida with a 10 a.m. match at No. 41 South Florida on Sunday at 10 a.m.

Women's Tennis Results
USC Upstate 5, Jacksonville 2
Singles competition 
1. Anna Novo (UPST) def. Lina Xu (JU) 6-4, 6-2
2. Lena Willi (JU) def. Susana Hernandez (UPST) 6-3, 6-1
3. Tatiana Soldatova (JU) def. Emilia Milovanovic (UPST) 6-4, 6-2
4. Daniela Lovera (UPST) def. Juliana Umeki (JU) 6-2, 6-2
5. Diana Martinez (UPST) def. Iva Jaresova (JU) 7-6 (8-6), 6-2
6. Maria Herrera (UPST) def. Fernanda Carrero (JU) 6-3, 6-1
 Doubles competition 
1. Iva Jaresova/Tatiana Soldatova (JU) def. Anna Novo/Emilia
Milovanovic (UPST) 8-6
2. Susana Hernandez/Daniela Lovera (UPST) def. Lena Willi/
Fernanda Carrero (JU) 8-5
3. Diana Martinez/Maria Herrera (UPST) def. Juliana Umeki/Lina Xu
(JU) 8-6
Match Notes:
USC Upstate 14-2, 8-0 A-Sun
Jacksonville 11-5, 5-1 A-Sun