March 11, 2004

LADY PALDINS VICTORIOUS OVER SOUTH FLORIDA, 5-2

GREENVILLE, SC -- The Furman women's tennis team returned home Thursday to down South Florida 5-2 at the Mickel Tennis Center. The win improved the Lady Paladins to 5-5 on the year, while South Florida fell to 2-8.

After splitting the first two doubles matches, Furman secured the doubles point when Caroline Bentley and Jacqueline Eckert downed Gabriela Duch and Luisa Obando in a tiebreaker 9-8(3).

With the doubles point in hand, the Lady Paladins then won three out of the first four singles matches to secure the victory. At No. 6 Furman's Marti Morris easily defeated Talia Romero 6-0, 6-4, and Caroline Bentley downed Yuri Kurashima 6-1, 6-4 at No. 4. Furman's Jacqueline Eckert overcame leg cramps late in the second set winning 6-4, 6-3 over Patricia Kolendo in the No. 3 slot. In the last match of the day Marie Andrade retired after falling down 4-6, 6-4, 5-2 to Shannon Moore at No. 2. The Lady Paladins two singles losses came when Bonnie Baird dropped a tough match to Luisa Obando 6-4, 6-4 at No. 5 and at No. 1 Mary Neill Hagood fell to Gabriela Duch 6-2, 6-0.

The Lady Paladins return to action Friday when they take on No. 13 Clemson at 4:00.

Doubles
No.1 Bentley/Eckert (FU) def. Duch/Obando (USF) 9-8(3)
No. 2 Morris/Hagood (FU) def. Andrade/Romero (USF) 8-3
No. 3 Kurashima/Kolendo (USF) def. Moore/Bornt-Davis (FU) 9-7

Singles
No. 1 Gabriela Duch (USF) def. Mary Neill Hagood (FU) 6-2, 6-0
No. 2 Shannon Moore (FU) def. Marie Andrade (USF) 4-6, 6-4, 5-2 ret.
No. 3 Jacqueline Eckert (FU) def. Patricia Kolendo (USF) 6-4, 6-3
No. 4 Caroline Bentley (FU) def. Yuri Kurashima (USF) 6-1, 6-4
No. 5 Luisa Obando (USF) def. Bonnie Baird (FU) 6-4, 6-4
No. 6 Marti Morris (FU) def. Talia Romero (USF) 6-0, 6-4