Armstrong Atlantic State, Francis Marion Win Women’s Tennis NCAA Regionals

FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University sophomore Klara Vitkova won her final three games at No. 4 singles to take a 6-4, 6-4 win and clinch a 5-3 win for the seventh-ranked Patriots over 10th-ranked Columbus State University, Friday afternoon (May 9) in a second-round match of the NCAA Division II Women’s Tennis National Tournament.

The Patriots up their program-best record to 22-2 and advance to the Division II national finals (Sweet 16) for the first time in the program’s history. The nationals will be held May 14-17 in Houston, Texas. FMU will face either Northeastern State University or Abilene Christian University in the quarterfinal round on Wednesday at 9 a.m.
Columbus State ends its season at 20-8.

The Cougars took a 1-0 lead with a win at No. 2 doubles before the unbeaten duo of Tereza Sykorova and Magda Jezovicova won 8-4 at No. 3 doubles to even the match. The Patriot pair is now 24-0 this season. At No. 1 doubles, Francis Marion’s Sarka Vitkova and Jenny Ludwig took a 7-2 lead only to watch CSU’s Agata Polcyn and Lindsey Groenewald win four straight games to pull to within 7-6. However, Vitkova and Ludwig recovered to win the next game and the match 8-6.

FMU sophomore Valeska Ibscher gained a quick 6-2, 6-1 victory at No. 5 singles to give FMU a 3-1 advantage. Columbus State trimmed that margin to 3-2 when Roxana Dondera won 6-1, 6-4 at the No. 2 spot.

At No. 1 singles, Sykorova won the opening set 6-1, but Polcyn took set two 6-2. Sykorova, ranked 10 nationally, then squeaked out a 7-5 win in the third set to put Francis Marion up 4-2. Again CSU cut the deficit as Gabriela Vasilescu beat Ludwig in three sets (4-6, 6-3, 6-2) at No. 3 singles.

With the Cougars’ Erin Reynolds holding a lead at the No. 6 singles position, Klara Vitkova then pulled off her comeback to give FMU its biggest team win in program history.

Francis Marion head coach Garth Thomson:
“This is the biggest win in team history. I am so happy with our effort, and extremely impressed with Tereza’s (Sykorova) comeback at No. 1 and Klara’s (Vitkova) close out at No. 4.  In doubles, we played well at No. 3 and were very fortunate at No. 1. But that win at No. 1 doubles gave us the momentum heading into singles competition. Then when Valeska (Ibscher) got a quick win to put us up 3-1 it put us in an enviable position, although the match was far from over.”
I am just so proud of the squad and very excited for the ladies and the school.”

Columbus State coach Evan Isaacs:
“My squad fought very hard. Both teams played well, Francis Marion just played the bigger points a bit better. FMU played with a lot of class too. I knew it would be a long and tough match. It has been a good season with a chance for us to still finish with a Top 10 ranking.”

NCAA II Women's Tennis National Tournament second-round match in Florence, SC
Women’s Tennis Match Results
Columbus State University vs Francis Marion University
May 09, 2008 at Florence, SC

#7 Francis Marion University 5, #10 Columbus State University 3

Singles competition
1. #10 Tereza Sykorova (FMU) def. #20 Agata Polcyn (CSU) 6-1, 2-6, 7-5
2. #38 Roxana Dondera (CSU) def. #40 Sarka Vitkova (FMU) 6-1, 6-4
3. Gabriela Vasilescu (CSU) def. Jenny Ludwig (FMU) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
4. Klara Vitkova (FMU) def. Daniela Castillo (CSU) 6-4, 6-4
5. Valeska Ibscher (FMU) def. Lindsey Groenewald (CSU) 6-2, 6-1
6. Magda Jezovicova (FMU) vs. Erin Reynolds (CSU) 6-7 (2-7), 3-4, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. #20 Sarka Vitkova/Jenny Ludwig (FMU) def. #19 Agata Polcyn/Lindsey Groenewald (CSU) 8-6
2. Roxana Dondera/Gabriela Vasilescu (CSU) def. Klara Vitkova/Valeska Ibscher (FMU) 8-5
3. Magda Jezovicova/Tereza Sykorova (FMU) def. Erin Reynolds/Daniela Castillo (CSU) 8-4

Match Notes:
Columbus State University 20-8; National ranking #10; Regional ranking #3
Francis Marion University 22-2; National ranking #7; Regional ranking #2
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (5,2,1,3,4)
NCAA II Women's Tennis National Tournament second-round match in Florence, SC
Official: Don Dobbins T-4:06 A-50

SAVANNAH, Ga. (May 9) – The No. 2-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State women's tennis team earned its fourteenth straight trip to the NCAA Division II Women's Tennis Round of 16 with a 5-0 victory over No. 11-ranked Clayton State on Friday afternoon at the AASU Tennis Complex.

The Lady Pirates (28-1) won all three doubles matches, but it took a while as a brief rain shower halted play in the doubles for an hour and 15 minutes. When play resumed, it took Iuliia Stupak and Gabriella Kovacs two points to cap an 8-0 win over Anna Redecsi and Julia Chergova at No. 1 doubles. Martina Beckmann and Alida Muller-Wehlau picked up an 8-2 win at No. 2 doubles over Selma Hidass and Katie White, then Sofia Haggstrom and Alisa Kagukina won, 8-4, over Allison Evans and Viktoriya Semyrodenko at No. 3 doubles.

The Lakers (20-5) played the Pirates tight in singles - including a tense first-set at No. 1 singles in which Stupak outlasted Redecsi in a tiebreaker, 7-5 - but AASU clinched the match with Muller-Wehlau's 6-0, 7-5 win at No. 3 singles and Haggstrom's 6-1, 6-3 win over Kristina Jonutyte at No. 6 singles. AASU now faces the winner of Incarnate Word and Tarleton State at 10:30 a.m. at Homer Ford Park in Houston in opening-round action on Wednesday.

#2 Armstrong Atlantic State 5, #11 Clayton State 0
May 09, 2008 at Savannah, Ga. (AASU Tennis Complex)

Singles competition
1. Iuliia Stupak (AASU) vs. Anna Redecsi (CLSW) 7-6 (7-5), 1-2, unfinished
2. Johanna Dahlback (AASU) vs. Julia Chergova (CLSW) 6-4, 2-3, unfinished
3. Alida Muller-Wehlau (AASU) def. Viktoriya Semyrodenk (CLSW) 6-0, 7-5
4. Gabriella Kovacs (AASU) vs. Katie White (CLSW) 4-6, 6-1, unfinished
5. Martina Beckmann (AASU) vs. Veronika Jasenovcova (CLSW) 6-3, 5-6, unfinished
6. Sofia Haggstrom (AASU) def. Kristina Jonutyte (CLSW) 6-1, 6-3

Doubles competition
1. Gabriella Kovacs/Iuliia Stupak (AASU) def. Julia Chergova/Anna Redecsi (CLSW) 8-0
2. Martina Beckmann/Alida Muller-Wehlau (AASU) def. Selma Hidass/Katie White (CLSW) 8-2
3. Sofia Haggstrom/Alisa Kagukina (AASU) def. Allison Evans/Viktoriya Semyrodenk (CLSW) 8-4

Match Notes
Clayton State 20-5; National ranking #11; Regional ranking #4
Armstrong Atlantic State 28-1; National ranking #2; Regional ranking #1
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (3,6)
2008 Women's Tennis Mid-Atlantic Regional Final
1:15 hour rain delay of doubles
T-4:35 A-115