Spring Sports Tennis Day 1 Updates
2008 SIAC TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS FIRST ROUND & SEMI-FINAL RESULTS
Tuscaloosa, AL - The first and semi-final rounds of the 81st Annual Men’s and 32nd Annual Women’s Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tennis Championships were held on April 17, 2008 at Bowers Park in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Day One Results (Women):
Match One:
Match one featured the 4th ranked Lady Rams of Albany State University and the 5th ranked Lady Tigers of Stillman College. The Lady Rams advanced to the semi-finals with a 5-2 win over Stillman College. Albany State won all three doubles matches as the pairings of Tonya Huggins-Vire and Dominique Green; Dominique Lambert and Traci Carswell; and Diana Chira and Patrice Rachel won their matches 8-5, 8-3, and 8-3 respectively.
In the singles matches, wins by Huggins-Vire (6-3, 6-0) and Traci Carswell (6-4, 6-4) secured the win for the Lady Rams who now advance to the semi-finals for a match up with the number one seed Golden Tigerettes of Tuskegee University.
Match Two:
After a 2-1 split in the team doubles, the #3 ranked Lady Tigers of Benedict College dispatched the #6 ranked Lady Wildcats of Fort Valley State University with three straight wins in the singles. Doubles partners Deandra Reasonover and Lauren Smith and Paula Lopez and Anna Clarke gave the Lady Tigers the 2-1 edge headed into singles play. With wins by Reasonover (6-0, 6-0), Shani Jones (6-3, 6-3) and Paula Lopez (6-2, 4-6, 6-2) in singles matches, the 5-1 win sends the Lady Tigers into the semi-finals where they will meet the Lady Panthers of Clark Atlanta University (See results of match three below).
Match Three:
Despite having only four players in their first round match up against the #7 ranked Lady Magicians of LeMoyne-Owen College, the 2nd ranked Lady Panthers of Clark Atlanta University were still able to advance to the semi-finals of the tournament. Overcoming three defaults, the Lady Panthers won two of the doubles contests behind an 8-1 performance by partners Simone Greene and Tara Turner and an 8-1 performance by teammates Shaundrea Brooks and Tyronda Starks. Couple that with singles wins by Greene (6-1, 6-0), Turner (6-0, 6-0) and Brooks (6-0, 6-0), and the Lady Panthers advance to meet the Lady Tigers of Benedict College in the semi-finals.
Match Four:
The Golden Tigerettes of Tuskegee University encountered minimal opposition in their advance to the SIAC Women’s Championship match with a 5 -1 win over the Lady Rams of Albany State University. The #1 ranked Tigerettes took two of the three doubles matches with wins by partners Jill Person and Francine Smith (8-0) and Kamila Triche and Charlotte Pulliam (8-0).
In singles play, Person bested Tonya Huggins-Vire, 6-2, 6-0 while Constanza Aranda beat Dominique Lambert, 6-1, 6-0 and Angela Dixon defeated Patrice Rachel, 6-1, 6-1.
The Tigerettes will defend their 2007 conference title in the championship contest on Friday, April 18th at 12 noon at Tuscaloosa’s Bowers Park.
Match Five:
The Lady Tigers of Benedict College punched their own ticket into the SIAC Tennis Championship by defeating the Lady Panthers of Clark Atlanta University in semi-final action. The Lady Tigers took two of the doubles matches for the early 2 -1 lead on their way to a 5-2 win.
In addition to a doubles win by Paula Lopez and Anna Clarke, the Lady Tigers also got a singles win from Lopez (6-0, 6-1) to earn a spot in the championship match.
Day One Results (Men):
Match One:
The #4 ranked Magicians of LeMoyne-Owen College didn’t need any magic to advance to the semi-finals of the SIAC Tennis Championships. Instead, two wins in doubles action (one through play and the second by default) and three singles wins elevated the Magicians to a 4-2 win over the #5 ranked Tigers of Benedict College.
Thomas Hall and Sergio Storr got the doubles win for LeMoyne-Owen with an 8-6 win.
In singles action, Storrs defeated Benedict’s Jason Calloo (6-4, 6-1) and Jihad Shariff defeated Edward Cox (6-1, 3-6, 6-3). An additional win by default facilitated the Magicians’ move into the semi-finals as they prepare to meet the #1 seed Golden Tigers of Tuskegee University.
Match Two:
Number three ranked Fort Valley State University sailed through first round action with a 5-0 win over the #6 ranked Stillman College. The double pairings of Andrew Felton and Carlos Vinas; Geoffrey Turner and Brandon Jennings; Darrell Foote and Andrew Belk won easily 8-0, 8-2, and 8-0, respectively.
In singles play, wins by Darell Foote (6-0, 6-0) and Andrew Belk (6-1, 6-2) enabled the Wildcats to advance to the semi-finals as they get set to meet the #2 seed Morehouse College.
Match Three:
In a semi-final match up, the #1 ranked Golden Tigers of Tuskegee University made their tournament debut when they met the Magicians of LeMoyne-Owen College (see men’s match one results above). The Golden Tigers wasted little time showing why they are the number one seed by eliminating the Magicians after a 5-0 win.
With two points already conceded through Magician defaults, the Golden Tigers needed only three wins to secure a spot in the SIAC Tennis Championship Match. A win in doubles by Kudzai Sithole and Eric Palmer (8-1) and singles wins by Sithole (6-0, 6-1) and Ryan Ross (6-1, 6-0) ensure a championship date for the Golden Tigers.
Match Four:
The Maroon Tigers of Morehouse College fought off a feisty challenge from the Wildcats of Fort Valley State University in the semi-final match to advance to the championship. The 5-3 win included one Morehouse win in the doubles (8-3) and singles wins by Ben Seagle (6-3, 6-1), Anthony Parr (6-3, 6-2), Tory Martin (6-1, 6-0) and Johan Oliver (6-2, 6-2).
The Maroon Tigers will meet the Golden Tigers of Tuskegee University in the championship match on Friday, April 18th at 12 noon at Bowers Park in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Brackets: