March 16, 2002

NO. 75 LADY PALADIN TENNIS EDGES SOUTH FLORIDA, 4-3

GREENVILLE, S.C.-- The 75th-ranked Furman women's tennis team moved to 9-3 on the year with a 4-3 Lady Paladin victory against the South Florida Bulls this afternoon at Mickel Tennis Center.

South Florida jumped on top early when the Bulls took the doubles point. At No. 1, Natalie Schwartz and Genevieve Houle defeated Furman's Megan Dunigan and Natalie The 9-8 (5), while Ashlee Callahan and Jackie Spicijaric earned an 8-4 victory against Furman's Mary Neill Hagood and Krista Thomson at No. 3. Furman's lone doubles victory came at the No. 2 slot, where freshmen Mary Kovarik and Caroline Bentley defeated Jennifer Sinclair and Claudia Nieto, 8-1.

Down 0-1, Furman rebounded as the Lady Paladins earned victories at the top four singles spots to clinch the win.

Dunigan, ranked 75th nationally, pushed her 2002 record to 12-0 as she defeated South Florida's Schwartz at the No. 1 slot, 6-4, 6-2. With the win, Dunigan moved to within two victories of tying the Furman women's tennis all-time wins mark of 69 held by former Lady Paladins Janey Strause and Karen Kelley.

Furman continued its victorious surge when Kovarik emerged with a 6-0, 6-1 triumph at No. 2 singles against Houle. Hagood then shut down South Florida's Sinclair in straight sets at No. 3, 6-1, 6-4, while Furman's The defeated Callahan at No. 4, 6-1, 6-0.

While Furman's Kovarik, Hagood, and The picked up straight-set victories for the Lady Paladins at Nos. 2, 3, and 4 singles, respectively, South Florida emerged with two singles wins of its own at the No. 5 and 6 spots, with Spicijaric defeating Bentley at No. 5, 6-4, 6-2, and Nieto holding off Furman's Thomson at No. 6, 6-3, 7-6 (3).

Furman will look to extend its 32 conference match win streak when the UNC Greensboro Spartans pay Mickel Tennis Center a visit on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m.

No. 75 Furman 4, South Florida 3
March 16, 2002
Singles Results
1. Megan Dunigan (Furman) def. Natalie Schwartz (USF), 6-4, 6-2
2. Mary Kovarik (Furman) def. Genevieve Houle (USF), 6-0, 6-1
3. Mary Neill Hagood (Furman) def. Jennifer Sinclair (USF), 6-1, 6-4
4. Natalie The (Furman) def. Ashlee Callahan (USF), 6-1, 6-0
5. Jackie Spicijaric (USF) def. Caroline Bentley (Furman), 6-4, 6-2
6. Claudia Nieto (USF) def. Krista Thomson (Furman), 6-3, 7-6 (3)
Doubles Results
1. Schwartz/Houle (USF) def. Dunigan/The (Furman), 9-8 (5)
2. Bentley/Kovarik (Furman) def. Sinclair/Nieto (USF), 8-1
3. Callahan/Spicijaric (USF) def. Hagood/Thomson (Furman), 8-4