Saturday, April 21, 2007

Johnson City, Tenn. - The ETSU Lady Bucs are one step closer to defending their championship after a 4-2 victory against a tough Stetson squad that advanced ETSU to the finals of the the General Shale Brick Tennis Championships.

ETSU's No. 1 doubles team of Masha Ilina and Olya Batsula defeated Stetson's Anna Leonenko and Katherine Nowicki 8-3. No. 2 doubles was also won by ETSU with Yevgeniya Stupak and Elena Volobueva beating Samantha Lange and Valentina Galbarini 8-2. Stetson grabbed No. 3 doubles with Breanna Atkinson and Katherine St. Clair knocking off Tara Byrne and Vita Moskaliova 8-1.

Last season's A-Sun Player of the Year, Masha Ilina of ETSU, dropped No. 2 singles to Breanna Atkinson 7-6(7-5), 6-0. Stetson also won No. 6 singles with Samantha Lange beating Vita Moskaliova 6-4, 6-4. Olya Batsula took care of business in No. 3 singles for the Lady Bucs, capturing a 7-5, 7-5 win over Anna Leonenko. Elena Volobueva had a straight sets 6-2, 6-2 victory over Stetson's Catherine Canady. Tara Byrne's win at No. 4 singles clinched the match for ETSU. Yevgeniya Stupak and Valentina Galbarini were battling in No. 1 singles when the match was completed.

ETSU will play Jacksonville tomorrow for the Atlantic Sun Championship and an NCAA berth at 10 a.m.

Doubles
No. 1 Ilina/Batsula (ETSU) def. Leonenko/Nowicki (Stetson) - 8-3
No. 2 Stupak/Volobueva (ETSU) def. Lange/Galbarini (Stetson) - 8-2
No. 3 Atkinson/St. Clair (Stetson) def. Byrne/Moskaliova (ETSU) - 8-1

Singles
No. 1 Yevgeniya Stupak (ETSU) vs. Valentina Galbarini (Stetson) - DNF
No. 2 Breanna Atkinson (Stetson) def. Masha Ilina (ETSU) - 7-6(7-5), 6-0
No. 3 Olya Batsula (ETSU) def. Anna Leonenko (Stetson) - 7-5, 7-5
No. 4 Tara Byrne (ETSU) def. Katherine Nowicki (Stetson) - 7-6(10-8), 6-3
No. 5 Elena Volobueva (ETSU) def. Catherine Canady (Stetson) - 6-2, 6-2
No. 6 Samantha Lange (Stetson) def. Vita Moskaliova (ETSU) - 6-4, 6-4