March 27, 2008

The San Francisco women's tennis team (4-7) battles the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos Friday at the Golden Gateway Tennis and Swim Club. First serve is set for 1 p.m. PDT.

ABOUT THE COMPETITION:

UC SANTA BARBARA (7-8)

The Dons last faced the Gauchos on February 24 of last year defeating the visiting squad 4-3 at Golden Gate Park. Finding themselves down 3-0, the Dons stormed back with four straight wins to edge UC Santa Barbara. Mylene Martin began the rally at No. 2 singles with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Carona Bjornstrom. Then Sarah Oudomvilay took Charlotte Scatliffe, 5-7, 6-3, 6-1; Joana Macedo topped Asagi Onaga 6-2, 6-3; and Nisha Dixit closed out Bryanna Ojeda 6-3, 6-3.

UC Santa Barbara lost a 5-2 decision at home to No. 46 Boise State Wednesday. The Broncos swept all three doubles matches to take an early 1-0 lead over the Gauchos. UC Santa Barbara's Tova Hausman opened the singles portion of the dual with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Jana Makova to even the score. Jill Damion, at the No. 2 spot, was the only other Gauchos' player to score topping Polina Kokoulina in three sets, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5), as Boise State posted four straight victories to clinch.

Following Friday's match versus the Dons, UC Santa Barbara will travel to Moraga for a Saturday contest versus Saint Mary's.

USF'S LAST DUAL

No. 69 Jennifer-Lee Heinser improved to 11-0 in singles play as the San Francisco women's tennis team Dons defeated Gonzaga, 6-1, in West Coast Conference play Friday afternoon.

Heinser, who entered the week No. 53 in the nation becoming the first Dons' player ranked in school history, disposed of Aglaya Kokurina at No.1 in a score of 6-0, 7-5.

San Francisco won the doubles point winning two of the three matches. Heinser teamed with Mylene Martin to take Emily Anderson and Clare Dodge, 8-2. At No. 3, Jenny Sperry and Emma Taylor secured the Dons' point by defeating Kristen MacWilliam and Kokurina, 8-6.

USF took singles' matches from position No. 1 to No. 5 but not without resistance. Martin and Taylor were forced to three sets versus Emily Anderson and Mehndiratta, respectively. After losing set one, Martin battled back to win the final two sets 6-3, 6-4. Taylor was on the short end of a 4-6 first set and then took set two 7-5 and set three 1-0 (5).

Sperry defeated Dodge at No. 4 by a score of 6-3, 7-5 while Mekpoh topped MacWilliam 6-0, 6-1 at No. 5.