Sunday, April 22, 2007

Johnson City, Tenn. - The No. 1 seed Jacksonville women's tennis team defeated No. 2 seed ETSU to earn the Atlantic Sun's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Dolphins beat the Lady Bucs 4-2.

Jacksonville earned the all-important doubles point by winning No. 1 and No. 2 doubles. Emese Sulyos and Lena Will knocked off Masha Ilina and Olya Batsula, 8-3. Tatiana Soldatova and Iva Jaresova beat Yevgeniya Stupak and Elena Volobueva, 8-4.

As in their previous match, which JU won 4-3, the Dolphins won the top three singles matches. Emese Sulyos beat Yevgeniya Stupak 6-3, 6-1, Lena Willi cruised past Masha Ilina 6-4, 6-2 and tatian Soldatova won a battle over Olya Batsula 7-6(9-7), 6-3. ETSU took No. 5 and No. 6 singles. Elena Volobueva served past Fernanda Carrero 7-5, 6-2 and Vita Moskaliova beat Cristina Paiva-Flor 6-3, 6-2.

Atlantic Sun Player of the Year, JU's Emese Sulyos, was named the Tournament MVP.

Jacksonville now advances to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. The NCAA will announce the tournament field on May 1.

Doubles
No. 1 Sulyos/Willi (JU) def. Ilina/Batsula (ETSU) - 8-3
No. 2 Soldatova/Jaresova (JU) def. Stupak/Volobueva (ETSU) - 8-4
No. 3 Carrero/Paiva-Flor (JU) vs. Byrne/Stewart (ETSU) - DNF

Singles
No. 1 Emese Sulyos (JU) def. Yevgeniya Stupak (ETSU) - 6-3, 6-1
No. 2 Lena Willi (JU) def. Masha Ilina (ETSU) - 6-4, 6-2
No. 3 Tatiana Soldatova (JU) def. Olya Batsula (ETSU) - 7-6(9-7), 6-3
No. 4 Iva Jaresova (JU) vs. Tara Byrne (ETSU) - DNF
No. 5 Elena Volobueva (ETSU) def. Fernanda Jaresova (JU) - 7-5, 6-2
No. 6 Vita Moskaliova (ETSU) def. Cristina Paiva-Flor (JU) - 6-3, 6-2

All-Tournament Team
MVP - Emese Sulyos, Jacksonville
Lena Willi, Jacksonville
Tara Byrne, ETSU
Yevgeniya Stupak, ETSU
Breanna Atkinson, Stetson
Elizabeth Conyer, Belmont