Wednesday, March 31, 2010

MACON, Ga. – UNF’s Aline Berkenbrock claimed her third Atlantic Sun Player of the Week award and second of the season after leading the Ospreys to five victories in the past week, including going 3-0 at No. 1 singles and 2-1 in No. 1 doubles, the conference office announced Wednesday.

Berkenbrock owns a 17-0 tally on the season at No. 1 singles. This past week, the sophomore nutrition major defeated USC Upstate's Francisca Valderrama, who ranks No. 113 nationally, 6-1, 6-0. Berkenbrock also picked up a win against Campbell’s Lisa Sutton, 7-5, 6-2. In non-conference action, the Joinville, Brazil native helped the Ospreys to a win versus UCF, defeating the Knights' Jenny Frisell, 6-3, 6-2.

Along with partner Raquel Castro, Berkenbrock defeated both USC Upstate’s and Campbell's No. 1 doubles duos. The Ospreys swept both the Spartans and the Camels, 7-0, this week and defeated the Knights, 5-2. UNF moved up to No. 60 in the ITA standings.

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.

Other Top Performers
Monica Pezzotti, USC Upstate, (Fr. - No. 3 - Cucota, Colombia - Business Administration) – Pezzotti helped USC Upstate win a close 4-3 match at Jacksonville with a singles and doubles wins. The Cucota, Colombia native posted a 7-5, 6-2 win at No. 3 against Iva Jaresova for just her second singles win of the season and added an 8-4 win versus Jaresova and Tatiana Soldatova at No. 1 doubles with partner Francisca Valderrama to help the Spartans clinch the point.

Tatiana Soldatova, Jacksonville (Sr. - No. 1 Singles/Doubles - Birobidzhan, Russia) – Soldatova led Jacksonville with three strong singles matches during the week. The Birobidzhan, Russia native earned a three-set victory against Campbell’s Lisa Sutton, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1, and swept USC Upstate’s Francesca Valderrama, 7-6, 6-0. Soldatova also posted a strong performance versus Missouri-Kansas City Monday, winning 6-4, 6-2.

Yevgeniya Stupak, Stetson (Sr. - No. 1 Singles/Doubles - Kyiv, Ukraine - Business) – In the past week, Stupak posted a perfect 2-0 record in singles, while along with teammate Kelly Holtzhausen, posted a 2-0 mark in doubles. Overall, Stupak continues to move up the ETSU all-time singles wins list with 103 victories, just four shy from Tara Byrne's all-time mark of 107. Stupak rolled past Lipscomb’s Mackenzie Bishop, 6-1, 6-0, at the No. 1 position, while the Kyiv, Ukraine native teamed up for an 8-4 win in No. 1 doubles against Bishop and Elizabeth Keevil. A day later, Stupak posted her ninth consecutive win with an unblemished, 6-0, 6-0, victory versus Belmont's Abby Leatherwood at No. 1. In doubles play, Stupak and Holtzhausen rocked past Leatherwood and Laura Stack with a strong 8-2 win.