May 8, 2009

DURHAM, N.C. - The UR women's tennis team fell to the third-seeded Duke Blue Devils, 4-0 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Ambler Stadium in Durham, N.C. The Spiders ended their season with a 17-6 mark.

In doubles action, senior Ashlee Vosters and junior Erin Clark were downed 8-2 by Melissa Mang and Amanda Granson. Sophmore Isabel Arana and senior Pamela Duran were shut out 8-0 by #53 Jessi Robinson/Mallory Cecil.

In singles action, the Blue Devils swept first, second and third singles. Freshman Helen Cunningham, Joanna Matuszczyk and senior Ashlee Vosters did not finish their matches.

Richmond captured its sixth A-10 title after sweeping Saint Louis, Charlotte and Temple. Duran earned Most Outstanding Performer for the second time in three years, as well as All Conference first-team honors. Clark was selected as the Student-Athlete of the Year. Clark and sophomore Kelly Tidwell joined Duran on the All Conference first-team.

Head coach Mark Wesselink earned his fifth Coach of the Year award, after guiding the Spiders to their sixth A-10 crown and eighth NCAA appearance.

#3 DUKE 4, UR 0

DOUBLES:
1. #22 Melissa Mang/Amanda Granson (DU) def. Ashlee Vosters/Erin Clark (RICH) 8-
2 2. #53 Jessi Robinson/Mallory Cecil (DU) def. Isabel Arana/Pamela Duran (RICH) 8-0
3. Tara Iyer/Reka Zsilinszka (DU) vs. Helen Cunningham/Kelly Tidwell (RICH) 6-3, unfinished

SINGLES:
1. #22 Melissa Mang/Amanda Granson (DU) def. Ashlee Vosters/Erin Clark (RICH) 8-
2 2. #53 Jessi Robinson/Mallory Cecil (DU) def. Isabel Arana/Pamela Duran (RICH) 8-0
3. Tara Iyer/Reka Zsilinszka (DU) vs. Helen Cunningham/Kelly Tidwell (RICH) 6-3, unfinished

OHIO STATE 4, XAVIER 0

The illustrious careers of three seniors ended on Friday as the Xavier men's tennis team fell to No. 3-seeded Ohio State, 4-0, in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. Mike Dieciuc, Ra'ees Ismail and Doug Matthews, all ranking in the program's top five for career singles victories, donned the Musketeer uniform for the final time in the loss.

XU fell into an early hole against the Buckeyes, conceding the doubles point. Matthews and junior Chris Herrlinger were the first to fall at the hands of OSU, losing to Justin Kronauge and Matt Allare, 8-1, in the Flight 1 match.

Securing the early 1-0 lead, the Buckeye's Chase Buchanan and Steven Moneke bested XU's Flight 2 pairing of senior Ismail and junior J.T. Torbeck, 8-2. Sophomores Bobby Deye and Brian Starr put up the strongest resistance for the Musketeers, playing Shuhei Uzawa and Bryan Koniecko to 6-3 before the match was halted because the doubles point was already decided.

The Musketeers improved on last year's showing in singles action, pushing the Buckeyes in the first sets of multiple matches playing against some of the top collegiate players in the nation.

Squaring off with Koniecko, rated as the No. 3 singles player in the country, in the Flight 1 showdown, Matthews came out playing inspired tennis. He broke Koniecko's serve early to put the pressure on the Buckeye, but Koniecko responded with a pair service break to capture the first set, 6-4. They did not finish the second set, which was tied 2-2, because the match concluded.

The one who clinched the Atlantic 10 Championship for XU, freshman Richard Canelas fought against Allare in the Flight 4 match. One service break decided the set, 6-4, in Allare's favor and the No. 113 player in the country closed out the match with a 6-1 second set victory.

Dieciuc took on Buchanan in the Flight 6 match, going game-for-game early on before a service break pushed Buchanan to a 6-3 first set win. He led Dieciuc 4-2 with a service break in the second set before the match was stopped with the decision in hand.

The Musketeers will lose Dieciuc, Ismail and Matthews to graduation, but return significant pieces of a team that has earned back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths, marking the first two in program history.