April 12, 2008

Complete Results

By Beth Miller
www.SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois University women's tennis team fell to Northern Iowa Saturday, 5-2.

The Panthers (11-7, 3-2 MVC) and Salukis (9-9, 2-2 MVC) battled for the doubles point, but the Panthers swept the Salukis for the early 1-0 lead. Sabine Tsala Mvilongo and Jessica Flannery fell to Sampada Kanade and Diana Mendez at No. 1 doubles, 8-4, while Martina Vianna Cé and Michela Cruise dropped their No. 2 doubles match to Meghana Paritala and Taynara Moraes, 8-2. Amanda Taillefer and Andrea Courtney were down 3-0 to Carolina Hannes and Laia Garrido at No. 3 doubles, but fought back, taking the set into a tiebreaker. Taillefer and Courtney fell in a close 8-7 (11-9) finish.

In singles action, Tsala grabbed the win at the top seed against Kanade, 6-4, 6-4, while Cé cruised to a 7-5, 6-0 victory over Paritala at No. 2 singles. Cruise dropped her first set at No. 3 singles to Garrido 7-5, but came back to win the second set, 6-2. The two battled for a win in the third set, but Crusie was unable to hold off Garrido, falling 6-1. Taillefer fought for the win at No. 5 singles, but fell to Mendez 6-3, 6-1. Andrea Courtney battled at No. 6 singles, but fell to Hannes, 6-2, 6-0. Flannery played a tough match at No. 4 singles against Moraes, wining the first set 6-1. Moraes came back to win in a close tiebreaker, and took the match in the third set for a 1-6, 7-6, 6-4 win.

"Even though we lost, there were small victories," said head coach Audra Nothwehr. "You have to be happy with No. 1 and No. 2 singles wins, and No. 3 and No. 4 were right there, it easily could have gone the other way. We played a very attacking game, we just didn't play the pressure points well in the matches we lost."

Northern Iowa 5, Southern Illinois 2

Singles
No. 1 - Sabine Tsala Mvilongo (SIU) def. Sampada Kanade (UNI) 6-4, 6-4
No. 2 - Martina Vianna Cé (SIU) def. Meghana Paritala (UNI) 7-5, 6-0
No. 3 - Laia Garrido (UNI) def. Michela Cruise (SIU) 7-5, 2-6, 6-1
No. 4 - Taynara Moraes (UNI) def. Jessica Flannery (SIU) 1-6, 7-6, 6-4
No. 5 - Diana Mendez (UNI) def. Amanda Taillefer (SIU) 6-3, 6-1
No. 6 - Carolina Hannes (UNI) def. Andrea Courtney (SIU) 6-2, 6-0

Doubles
No. 1 - Kanade/Mendez (UNI) def. Tsala/Flannery (SIU) 8-4
No. 2 - Paritala/Moraes (UNI) def. Cé/Cruise (SIU) 8-2
No. 3 - Hannes/Garrido (UNI) def. Taillefer/Courtney (SIU) 8-7 (11-9)

Southern Illinois 9-9, 2-2 MVC
Northern Iowa 11-7, 3-2 MVC