April 3, 2006

Box Score

BEAUMONT - The Texas State University women's tennis team nipped Lamar 4-3 at Cardinal Courts on Sunday, to win its third conference match in a row and even its conference record to 4-4.

The Lady Cardinals started the match by sweeping the doubles point to take an early 1-0 lead.

Andrea Martinez and Tara Shelander defeated Ashley Ellis Lainy Chafitz 8-4 at No. 1 doubles, Tanya Roberts and Pamela Martinez took out Leja Sirola Jana Cucciniello 8-2 at No. 2 and Kendall Gibbs and Maria Guiterrez beat Natalie McLeod Christina Amo 8-4 at No. 3.

In singles competition Andrea Martinez picked up one of the two Lamar wins in singles play, knocking off Amo 6-3, 6-1 at No. 1 singles, while Gutierrez took out Muller 6-4, 6-1 at No. 5.

Texas State (6-11, 4-4 Southland Conference) was able to pull off the upset by collected wins in the rest of the singles matches.

In the deciding match, Sirola held off Pamela Martinez to win 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 at No. 4. After falling behind 2-0, Sirola rattled off five straight points to take control, and win 6-3.

In the other matches, Ellis knocked out Shelander 6-4, 7-6 at No. 2, Chafitz took out Roberts 6-4, 6-3 at No. 3 and Cucciniello took out Gibbs 6-1, 6-2 at No. 6.

The Bobcats sit at 4-4 in the SLC and have now put themselves in great position to compete in the conference tournament in Arlington at the end of the month.

"We've been working hard towards this point and it's finally falling into place," third year head coach Tory Plunkett said. "Now it's our turn. We've dropped a handful of 4-3 matches and we were on the right side of this one. It's a huge success."

Texas State has the luxury of playing its remaining two matches at home, taking on Southeastern Louisiana and Nicholls State, April 8 and 9 at the Texas State Tennis Complex. Both matches are scheduled to start at 10 a.m.