Oct. 11, 2009

By Michael Benson
www.SIUSalukis.com

Evansville, Ind. - Martina Vianna Ce captured the championship in Flight #6 as the SIU women's tennis team finished play Sunday at the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Individual Championship in Evansville, Ind.

Vianna Ce's title is the first for any Saluki since 2006, when Amanda Taillefer also captured the Flight #6 title.

The senior notched the conference title by defeating Evansville's Carolyn Caire in straight sets 6-4, 6-4. With the win, Vianna Ce, a native of Porto Alegre, Brazil, also captured her first fall tournament championship in her career, as she finished second last year at the MVC Individuals last season in Des Moines, Iowa.

Also competing in the singles finals was Michela Cruise. However, Cruise could not replicate the success of her teammate, as she fell to Arianne Maack of Illinois State 7-5, 6-2, in the Flight #5 title match.

In doubles, Emily Whitney and Cruise vied for the championship in Flight #3, but they were bested by Illinois State's Carmen Peters and Hannah Esker, 8-2. Meanwhile, Jennifer Dien and Jessica Flannery teamed up to capture third place in doubles Flight #2, as they took down Stephanie Dalmacio and Lily Wakim of Wichita State, 8-4. In addition, Vianna Ce and Vishakha Sheoran won fifth place in Flight #1 by default over Creighton's duo of Sarah Cadwallader and Tess Reddin.

"It shows us that we will be a threat in the conference, especially knowing that everyone played up one position higher than we planned because we had to leave our number one player at home.""

The Saluki women's tennis team will conclude their fall season in two weeks, as they travel to Norman, Okla., for the ITA Central Regional Championships from Oct. 21-25.