For Immediate Release: Saturday, February 15, 2003
Contact: Dave Geringer, Sports Information Director

LADY BRONCS FALL TO SOUTHERN, SHSU

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX-The University of Texas-Pan American's women's tennis team lost to Southern, 4-3, and Sam Houston State, 4-2, at the H.E.B. Tennis Center Saturday afternoon.

After losing the doubles point against Southern, the Lady Broncs split the singles matches with the Jaguars. At number one, senior Elisabet Mateos (Barcelona, Spain/Arnau Cadell HS/Laredo CC) defeated Ariona Marshall, 6-4, 4-4 with Marshall then retiring. At number three, freshman Laura Boskovich (San Jose, CA/St. Francis HS) defeated Kelly Nabors, 6-4, 6-2, and at number six, junior Alana Breen (Whistler, BC/Whistler Secondary) downed Jennifer Floyd, 6-7, 6-1, (10-7).

The Broncs lost close doubles matches at one and two, and junior Julie Fife (Los Alamos, NM/Los Alamos HS) lost to Sarah Johnson at number five, 6-3, 0-6, (10-7).

"We changed up our pairings in the doubles, and we had much better chemistry," said UTPA Assistant Coach Elizabeth Middleton. "We got off to a slow start in the singles, and we weren't able to pull it out."

Texas-Pan American and Sam Houston State began their match with singles, and, since the match was decided after the singles, they did not play doubles. Junior Julie Fife (Los Alamos, NM/Los Alamos HS) defeated Jennifer Pechal at number five singles, 6-0, 3-6, (10-6), while junior Jessica Brown (Sioux City, IA/North HS) defeated Shanna Elias at number six, 6-0, 6-0.

"We didn't get off to a good start," said Middleton. "We came back well in the second sets of our matches, but we need to get off to a better start."

The Lady Broncs fell to 2-8 with the losses. They will return to action when they visit Southwest Texas State next Sunday.

WT-SOUTHERN-021503

UTPA RESULTS

SOUTHERN 4, UTPA 3-WOMEN

DOUBLES

1-Ariona Marshall and Tanya Hicks, SU, defeated Elisabet Mateos and Ana Pena, 9-7
2-Isoka Perry and Sarah Johnson, SU, defeated Kathryn Waslen and Elysia Sloan, 8-6
3-Laura Boskovich and Julie Fife, UTPA, defeated Kelly Nabors and Jennifer Floyd, 8-3

SINGLES

1-Mateos, UTPA, defeated Marshall, 6-4, 4-4, retired
2-Perry, SU, defeated Waslen, 6-3, 6-3
3-Boskovich, UTPA, defeated Nabors, 6-4, 6-2
4-Hicks, SU, defeated Pena, 6-3, 6-4
5-Johnson, SU, defeated Fife, 6-3, 0-6, (10-7)
6-Alana Breen, UTPA, defeated Floyd, 6-7, 6-1, (10-7)

SAM HOUSTON STATE 4, UTPA 2-WOMEN

SINGLES

1-Tara Shelander, SHSU, defeated Elisabet Mateos, 6-4, 6-2
2-Mounia Hassib, SHSU, defeated Kathryn Waslen, 6-1, 6-2
3-Fati Benboubker, SHSU, defeated Laura Boskovich, 6-1, 6-4
4-Erika Rudich, SHSU, defeated Ana Pena, 6-0, 7-5
5-Julie Fife, UTPA, defeated Jennifer Pechal, 6-0, 3-6, (10-6)
6-Jessica Brown, UTPA, defeated Shanna Elias, 6-0, 6-0